Prefer Labour over Machinery at Sand Loading Points: Writ Plea

 Hyderabad: The panel of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe of the Telangana High Court ordered notices to state functionaries in a PIL seeking to provide employment to labour at Godavari sand reaches to load the sand into trucks and other vehicles. The panel, comprising Chief Justice Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar, was dealing with a PIL filed by Salugu Bikshapathi. The petitioner complained that unofficial respondents were using the machinery instead of manual labour, which is against the government orders issued in February 2015. He contended that the GO provided for employment to tribes and labourers in loading of sand into the trucks at the sand reaches. The panel accordingly ordered notices and posted the matter for further adjudication.

Writ plea on transfer of employees with disabilities

Justice Pulla Karthik of the Telangana High Court took on file a writ plea complaining about lack of policies for posting and transfer of employees with disabilities. The judge was hearing a writ plea filed by P.N.V. Bhargav against the state’s higher education and other departments. The petitioner alleges that the respondent authorities had failed to come up with any policies for posting and transfer of employees with disabilities in accordance with the Rights of persons with Disabilities Act 2016. The petitioner sought direction to the respondent authorities to frame policies for posting and transfer of employees with disabilities. After hearing the petitioner, the judge directed the government pleader to get instructions from the respondent authorities and posted the matter for further adjudication.

Compassionate appointment: HC orders contempt notice to Nizamabad collector

Justice T. Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court took on file a contempt case against the principal secretary of the revenue department, the Nizamabad district collector and others. The judge was dealing with a contempt case filed by P. Vijaya alleging non-compliance by the respondents of the earlier order passed by the judge, who had directed the respondent authorities to consider the representation of the petitioner. This pertains to the petitioner’s plea for payment of gratuity amount and a compassionate appointment to the post of record assistant, as she was the only legal heir of her deceased father, who worked as a village revenue assistant with the respondents. The judge directed the respondent authorities to file their response within four weeks and posted the matter for further adjudication.

YouTube and others face contempt charges

Justice S. Nanda of the Telangana High Court ordered notice to the Union ministry of electronics and information technology, Youtube and others, in a contempt case, alleging inaction in removing defamatory content against the petitioner. The judge was hearing a contempt case filed by Swarga Seema Sandalwood Farms private limited represented by its director. The petitioner alleged that the respondent authorities had wantonly failed to comply with the orders passed by the judge earlier in a writ plea. The judge had earlier passed interim direction to the respondent authorities to consider the representation of the petitioner for removal of videos and other defamatory material and content uploaded against them on YouTube, by the partners of Pravasa Media LLP. The petitioner alleged that despite directions by the judge to initiate steps for removal of defamatory content within two weeks, the same was not yet removed from YouTube. The judge after hearing the petitioner ordered notice and posted the matter after two weeks for further adjudication.

Reconsider medical certificate of employee: HC

Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao of the Telangana High Court directed the authorities to reconsider the medical state of an employee suffering from congenital myotonic dystrophy. The judge was dealing with a writ plea filed by K. Surender, challenging his termination from services at Kopulla gram panchayat in Shayampet, Warangal, where he was working as a field assistant. The authorities issued a notice in November 2017 that he had not performed his MGNREGS programme duties for about two months. Though he submitted his explanation in February 2018, the authorities, according to the petitioner, did not consider the same. The judge on an entire consideration of facts and the law found that there was no proper appreciation of the defence taken by the petitioner and no weightage was given to the medical certificate. He set aside the order of termination and directed the district collector/DPC and others to reconsider the case taking into consideration the explanation given by the petitioner.