HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has directed Sanjeev Kishore, General Manager of South Central Railway, and other officials to comply with the order of this court that the AC Coach Mechanics (ACCMs) and AC Coach Attendants (ACCAs) are eligible to get payment of overtime allowance (OTA) for the halt period at outstations” within a period of four weeks from the date of the order, failing which, they have to appear in person before this court on the next date of hearing and explain reasons on August 26. A division bench of the court gave the order in a contempt case filed by KRK Rao, AC mechanic, South Central Railway, and 105 others. The other officials to whom the direction was given were: Abhay Kumar Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager and M Prasad Rao, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, Sanchalan Bhavan, Secunderabad.
Avoiding multiplicity
The petitioners’ demand was payment of OTA for standstill periods at outstations which was denied by the Divisional Railway Manager, Secunderabad Division. They filed a plea on the file of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), at Hyderabad Bench.The Union of India, represented by the General Manager (P), South Central Railway, Secunderabad, filed the writ petition in response. The applicants before the Tribunal relied on an Apex Court ruling as well as a High Court of Chhattisgarh order in which comparable claims were permitted. Following the judgments of the Apex Court in “Amrit Lal Berry vs CCE, and Inder Pal Yadav vs Union of India,” the High Court directed the Railway Authorities to extend the benefit to similarly situated employees, as the same would avoid multipli city of litigation.