separate colony for the employees and has residential houses for its employees and the houses are provided all modern facilities. The company has also provided roads, schools and hospital etc. in the colony of the factory situated at Surajpur. The hospital is equipped with all modern facilities and having a capacity of 22 beds manned by qualified medical practitioners and other paramedical staff. Free treatment is given to the employees and their dependants and near relations. The company also provides medical leave and special medical leave to its employees. The petitioner-company is having about 1000 employees working in the Surajpur factory including the workers employed at Malla quarry. Out of these employees, only 200 employees are drawing less than Rs.3000/- per month whereas the employees working in Malla quarry are not covered under the provisions of the Employees State Insurance Act (in short “the Act”). The remaining employees who are drawing more than Rs.3000/- per month are also not covered under the provisions of the Act. The rate of minimum daily wages applicable to the petitioner-company was Rs.120/- per day and therefore, none of the employees of the company was covered under the provisions of the Act as they were drawing more than Rs.3000/- per month. In the year 1970, the petitioner-company moved an application to respondents No.1 and 2 for exemption from the provisions of the Act who being fully satisfied exempted the petitioner-company from the provisions of the Act by issuing notifications from time to time. The petitioner-company vide application dated 16.11.1993 (Annexure P-2) applied for renewal of exemption from the provisions of the Act for the period from 1.10.1993 to 30.9.1994 on the similar grounds as the earlier exemption granted vide notification dated 23.12.1993 (Annexure P-3)
