DES RAJ, ETC. ETC. vs STATE OF PUNJAB & ORS. ETC.

The Supreme Court held that the Irrigation Department of the State Government of Punjab or Haryana qualifies as an 'industry' under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Court noted that the amended definition of 'industry' had not yet come into force, thus the original definition and relevant judicial precedents must be applied. Consequently, the appellants, being employees of the Irrigation Department, were recognized as 'workmen' under Section 2(s) and their claims constituted 'industrial disputes' under Section 2(k). The appeals were allowed, overturning the Labour Court's decision that had denied relief to the appellants.