Telangana HC relief for Junior Panchayat Secretaries

Hyderabad: Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili of Telangana High Court on Monday recorded undertaking by the Telangana government that it will accommodate all the dislodged Junior Panchayat Secretaries on ad hoc basis. The Junior Panchayat Secretaries who were appointed under the sports quota in May 2019 were terminated in September 2021. The action of the government […]

Hyderabad: Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili of Telangana High Court on Monday recorded undertaking by the Telangana government that it will accommodate all the dislodged Junior Panchayat Secretaries on ad hoc basis. The Junior Panchayat Secretaries who were appointed under the sports quota in May 2019 were terminated in September 2021.

The action of the government in not prescribing a minimum qualifying mark in notification and not following merit in sports were questioned by candidates and subsequently their appointments were cancelled.

Anil Kumar and other candidates filed a batch of writ petitions challenging termination. The petitioners contended they were meritorious both in sports and written exam, and that their appointments were terminated based on a case which they were not party to. The petitioners worked for two and a half years before termination.

However, the government has now considered their case and decided to accommodate them on ad hoc basis. The judge adjourned the case by two weeks. In the meantime, the government may pass orders for accommodating the petitioners.

Report on teachers’ appointment

A two-judge panel of Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice A Rajasekhar Reddy directed the State government to file status report with regard to appointment of teachers in Telangana. The panel while dealing with a PIL filed by Pasalapati Venkata Narayana sought information about vacancies available and number of teachers appointed by the State. The panel also sought a report on steps being taken to fill the vacancies. It posted the case for hearing after four weeks. The petitioner said the right to primary education guaranteed under the Constitution would be affected if the government fails to appoint school teachers in cadre posts.

Ex gratia: Hearing adjourned

The same panel directed the State government to file a status report with regard to compensation being paid to family members of persons who committed suicide. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by V Kondal Reddy challenging nonpayment of ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh to 13 such families of Vikarabad, Bhongir and Peddapally despite pay orders being issued. The panel posted the case after four weeks.

Petition dismissed

The panel imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on Mudiraj Sangham while dismissing a PIL on the grounds that the petition lacked bona fide. The PIL was filed by the Sangham questioning inaction on alleged illegal sale transaction and illegal entries in revenue records pertaining to water tank area in Bhongir. The plea stating that the entire land was tank land was contested by the government. The government pointed out that there was a small parcel of tank stream abutting multiple parcels of private lands and the petition was misconceived. It was also noticed that the petition was full of generalities and lacking in merits.

HC reserves ruling

The panel reserved ruling on a writ petition filed by two fruit merchants’ associations complaining about the highhandedness of the State officials in stalling the merchants from carrying out their trade at Gaddiannaram fruit market contrary to the interim arrangement made by the single judge. Senior counsel Gangaiah Naidu, appearing for the merchants’ associations, pointed out that the decision in shifting the fruit market from Gaddiannaram to Batasingaram was not in consonance with law. He also contended that the decision was not taken by the consent of the stakeholders and without providing adequate infrastructure on a par with the existing market.
He pointed out to the panel that the hamalis would suffer as they would not be in a position to relocate to the new site without proper infrastructure.

Special Government Pleader Sanjeev Kumar said the government was ready to make required arrangements if the stakeholders give a representation. He also stated that the existing arrangement was adequate to carry out the business. The panel reserved the matter after hearing both sides as well as senior advocate K Vinay Kumar, who was appointed as Commissioner to inspect the area.

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