Office subordinates move HC against absorption of VRAs
Following a request from the Assistant Government Pleader (AGP), Justice P Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing a petition challenging the validity of GO 81, and GO 85.
The petition was filed by one Kurisenga Adithya, along with a group of 29 people employed as office subordinates across various offices of MROs, RDOs, and district Collectors, contending that the actions taken by district Collectors based on these orders are illegal and infringe upon their rights enshrined in Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Constitution, as well as contravene the Telangana Ministerial Service Rules.
GO 81 outlines the government’s decision to address the continuation of service of 16,758 Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs) who have reached the age of 61. The government intends to assimilate them into suitable departments, placing them in categories such as last-grade service, record assistants, junior assistants, or equivalent, based on their qualifications.
Regular pay scales are also proposed for them. For a subset of VRAs (3,797 in all) who extend their service beyond the age of 61, the government has devised a plan to offer compassionate appointments to their children, based on eligibility.
The petitioners alleged that their requests for transfer to junior assistant positions were not adequately addressed by the authorities. In their petition, the petitioners requested the suspension of proceedings initiated by the Special Chief Secretary (Finance) through the CCLA reference dated August 5, 2023, as well as any consequential actions taken by district Collectors.
SCCL asked to consider appointment
Justice P Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the Principal Secretary, Medical, Health and Family Welfare as well as the chairman and managing director of the Singareni Colliery Company Limited (SCCL) to consider the appointment of petitioner Munigala Roshini on compassionate grounds, if she is found eligible.
The judge was hearing petitions filed by Munigala Deepa and her daughter Roshini, seeking appointment in the SCCL on compassionate grounds, after the death of Deepa’s son and Roshini’s brother Naresh. According to the petition, Naresh was granted employment in SCCL after the death of Deepa’s husband. However, within a year of being given the job, Naresh also died.
In her petition, Deepa said that Roshini, daughter of the first petitioner, is the sole remaining eligible family member deserving of a compassionate appointment.
Lack of loos: Authorities get 3 more weeks
A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, on Wednesday, extended the three-week deadline for the respondents to present a timeline for the completion of toilet construction at Government Junior College in Saroornagar, Rangareddy district and adjourned the matter to September 5, 2023.
The bench was hearing a taken-up suo motu PIL based on a letter written by Nallapu Manideep, a law student, and the clipping of a newspaper report. The PIL Committee subsequently turned the letter into a taken-up PIL. The news report spotlighted the inadequate facilities at Government Junior College in Saroornagar.
Particularly distressing was the revelation that a solitary toilet served a student population of over 700 girls. As per the news report, the students said that their grievances had been overlooked for three months. The severity of the situation prompted nearly 300 students to boycott classes and their protest was widely covered by the media.
During the most recent hearing, the respondents informed the court that construction was underway for a new toilet block, catering to both genders, with an expected completion date of June 2023. In the interim, pre-fabricated toilets have been provided.