HYDERABAD: A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Sravan Kumar, on Wednesday modified a single judge’s order and deferred the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) trade union elections to December 27, 2023, in view of the logistical challenges foreseen due to the Assembly elections in the State.
The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by the Singareni Collieries Workers Union, affiliated with AITUC, Kothagudem, seeking an extension of the deadline to conduct elections for the 15 trade unions within SCCL.
Earlier, the single judge had granted an extension until October 28. However, when the Election Commission of India announced its tentative schedule for the Assembly elections, SCCL requested an additional one-month extension. This request was denied by a single judge on September 23. Following this, the workers union moved the writ appeal.
The senior counsel representing SCCL argued for the postponement, citing substantial logistical challenges that included six districts, 43,000 voters, and over 700 state officers involved in the elections. The council highlighted that after the general elections in December, the state machinery, including the police force and revenue officials, would be available to manage the SCCL elections effectively. Furthermore, it was noted that out of the 15 trade unions, 13 had agreed to defer the elections, considering the impending general elections.
The counsel further emphasised that three of the six districts were under the threat of Maoists. With the local bodies, district collectors, the police, and other state machinery engaged in election duty, it was deemed exceedingly challenging to provide the necessary security for the SCCL trade union elections, the counsel added.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the division bench took into account the impending Assembly elections in the state and made the decision to modify the single judge’s order.The court directed the relevant authorities to reschedule the trade union elections to December 27, instead of October 28. The court emphasised the importance of cooperation between the State government, the deputy chief labour commissioner, and the special chief secretary of the Energy Department, Government of Telangana, to ensure that all necessary arrangements are made to conduct the elections freely and fairly.
The SCCL has been instructed to provide an updated voter list to the chief labour commissioner by November 30.The division bench has also listed the matter for a compliance report on December 29, to ensure that directives are followed.