Nainital, Dec 9 (IANS): The Uttarakhand High Court has put an interim stay on the Union government's decision to close the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) factory based in Ranibagh, Haldwani, an official said on Friday.

The court, while hearing the matter on Thursday, also served notice to both the central and state governments returnable in six weeks.

The court also observed that the management of the factory unit was behind the mismanagement. The court was informed by the petitioner - HMT Workers Association, that the government decided on November 17 this year to close down the unit, which they pleaded, was not the correct way forward.

Special audits have been conducted in the past on the factory but closure was never recommended, the petition contended while adding that hundreds of workers employed since 1988 were now left to fend for themselves.

Counsel for the petitioners Kartikeya Gupta told the court that a salary dispute remained unsettled and in such a situation, closure of the factory unit was illegal.

The single bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma then put an interim stay on the decision of the union labour ministry for closing down the HMT factory unit and sought response from it within six weeks.