State govt must compensate sewage workers: Telangana High Court

Hyderabad: A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Vijay Bhasker Reddy on Thursday opined that the State government must provide compensation for the sewage workers especially the contract and casual workers across Telangana. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by S Jeevan Kumar. The petitioner […]

Hyderabad: A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Vijay Bhasker Reddy on Thursday opined that the State government must provide compensation for the sewage workers especially the contract and casual workers across Telangana. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by S Jeevan Kumar. The petitioner sought a direction for carrying out a comprehensive medical check-up of all the sewage workers. He further sought that the services of the sewage workers should not be terminated by the contractors or the municipal authorities and to provide sewage workers comprehensive medical treatment free of cost as long as the treatment is required. The panel also threw light on the fact as to whether daily wage workers or workers employed on contract be treated the same as permanent workers. The panel observed that since it was a socially sensitive issue, it needed a detailed hearing. The matter will now be heard on September 7.

No urgency in dealing with Covid petitions

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The panel further deliberated that there was no urgent hearing required for any COVID PILs considering the current wave. The panel was dealing with a batch of PILs filed during the rise of COVID-19 pandemic. The State Government opined that they are performing their duties in view of the 4th wave by simultaneously following the guidelines given by the Central Government keeping in mind of the WHO circulars that the 4th wave will continue till the end of October. The panel further opined the matters did not require any urgent hearing and shall be pending. The panel directed the State Government to file a status report. The matter has been adjourned to October 13.

Stay vacated

A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court set aside an order of a single judge granting stay in the tender notification issued by the Road and Building Department of the Telangana Government. Earlier, Super Hi-Tech Engineers and Contractors challenged the issuance of a tender to KNR Constructions Ltd on the ground that the government accepted the single tender without recording any reasons or satisfaction for accepting the tender though it is at a higher cost than the estimate contract value. A single judge, while granting the stay on the tender made clear that the interim order granted did not prevent/recruit the official respondents from initiating the tender process afresh. Aggrieved by the said order KNR Construction Ltd filed the present appeal. The petitioner complained that the single judge had passed the said order without hearing them nor giving an opinion to the government whether if required they can initiate fresh tenders for the same purpose. Further, it was also brought to the notice of the panel that the reasons were recorded while accepting the single tender. Considering the same, the panel allowed the writ plea setting aside the stay granted by the single judge.