HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has disposed of nearly 90 writ appeals filed by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and others, partly granting relief to medically invalidated workers seeking dependent employment under the National Coal Wage Agreement-VI (NCWA-VI).
The appeals arose from a common judgment dated August 30, 2024, in which a single judge had directed reconsideration of the medical categorisation of employees under Clause 9.4.0 of NCWA-VI. The workmen, declared medically unfit after years in hazardous mining operations, argued that their conditions amounted to “permanent disablement” under Clause 9.4.0(i), rather than “general physical debility” under Clause 9.4.0(ii).
Pursuant to earlier court directions, an independent medical board at Gandhi Medical Hospital examined 127 employees and classified 121 under Clause 9.4.0(ii). Challenging this classification, the workers approached the court again, leading to the present batch of appeals.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin held that while courts ordinarily do not interfere with expert medical opinion, judicial review is warranted where the decision-making process is unreasoned or arbitrary. The bench noted that several employees suffered from identifiable permanent disabilities, including amputation, stroke-related paralysis, neurological disorders, vision loss and advanced cardiac disease, which could not be treated as “general physical debility”.
Holding that the distinction between Clause 9.4.0(i) and Clause 9.4.0(ii) is substantive, the court directed that workers listed at specified serial numbers be treated under Clause 9.4.0(i), entitling their dependents to employment irrespective of age or residual service. The remaining employees classified under Clause 9.4.0(ii) were not granted further relief.
The court expressed “deep anguish” over the prolonged litigation, observing that coal miners work under hazardous conditions and that welfare provisions under NCWA-VI must be implemented in their true spirit. The writ appeals were disposed of, bringing the dispute to a close.