N.T.P.C. & Ors vs Badri Singh Thakur & Ors

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of employment status of contract workers engaged by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) under the M.P. Industrial Relations Act, 1960 and the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970. The Court held that the relationship between the Corporation and the contract workers was not one of employer-employee, as the workers were employed through a contractor and had initiated conciliation proceedings under the 1960 Act. The Court emphasized that the provisions of the 1960 Act apply to the Corporation, but the contract workers could not claim direct employment with NTPC due to the contractual nature of their engagement.