Uttarakhand High Court. File
The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a 31-year-old notification that prohibited the hiring of contract workers at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Pankaj Purohit declared the notification, issued on September 8, 1994, by the Centre, invalid without following the mandatory consultation process under Section 10 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
ONGC had challenged the notification, arguing that the Central Advisory Contract Labour Board was not consulted before issuing the notification, and that it relied solely on the report of a subcommittee that inspected only four of the corporation’s 34 units.
The Centre claimed that the notification was issued following due process. However, the court found that there was no proper consultation and limited scrutiny, meaning the decision lacked sufficient factual basis.
Citing various Supreme Court rulings, the bench said the compliance with Section 10(2) is mandatory, and any violation of it invalidates the notification.
Published – October 17, 2025 02:10 pm IST
