PUNJAB STATE . vs DINA NATH — C.A. No. 5197/2000

Case Summary: Punjab State v. Dina Nath (CA 5197/2000) The Supreme Court held that Clause 4 of the Work Order—providing that disputes between the department and contractor shall be referred to the Superintending Engineer whose decision is final and binding—constitutes a valid arbitration agreement under Section 2(a) of the Arbitration Act, 1940, despite not expressly using the word "arbitration." The Court found all essential elements satisfied: parties' intent to refer disputes to arbitration, a named decision-maker, finality of decision, and written agreement. The application for arbitrator appointment filed within three years of the demand notice was within limitation. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.