Hyderabad High Court status quo on unified rules

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the state government to maintain status quo on promoting teachers based on the amendment to the Presidential Order 1975 for implementation of unified service rules for two weeks. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was hearing the petition by the Government Teachers Association of Telangana State challenging constitutional validity of Para 2A of the Presidential Order inserted on June 23, 2014, with effect from Nov. 20, 1998.

Mr S. Ramachandra Rao, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, said Para 2A affected the service conditions of about 40,000 teachers. He said as per the mandate of Article 371D(2), the President had no power to organise teaching posts in local bodies into local cadres. He said the state government had commenced the process of promoting teachers based on Para 2A, and urged the court to intervene. Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate general, contended that as per Article 371D (1) the President has power to issue order with regard to services of the teachers.

HC to hear plea on outsourced Staff today:

The High Court agreed to hear from Tuesday, a petition challenging the proceedings issued by the Transco to absorb outsourced persons in regular posts. Mr Sravan Kumar, who is unemployed, moved a petition challenging the process to absorb outsourced persons in 23,699 regular posts in power utilities. The High Court on June 29 while refusing to stay the process granted liberty to the petitioner to move an application if something happened in the meanwhile.

Counsel appearing for Mr Kumar on Monday told a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi that Transco was issuing orders to absorb the outsourced employees. The bench said that it will take the case on Tuesday.

Plea questions sop to mantris:

A petition has been moved before the Hyderabad High Court challenging the action of the AP government in withdrawing pending cases against TD leaders of the state. This newspaper had reported on the issue last week. Mr A. Ramakrishna Reddy, YSRC MLA from Mangalagiri, moved the petition challenging the GOs issued by the government to withdraw cases against 273 persons including Spea-ker Kodela Siva Pra-sada Rao, Deputy Chief Ministers K.E. Krishnamurthy and N. Chinarajappa, ministers Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, Kollu Ravindra, Nak-ka Anand Babu, K. Atchennaidu and Ganta Srinivasa Rao.

The MLA said the GOs were issued selectively directing withdrawal of prosecution only against the leaders of the ruling party. He said the GOs reflected the poor administration of criminal justice system “at the behest of the politically partisan attitude of the government resulting in the breakdown of Constitutional machinery.” Mr Ramakrishna Reddy urged the court to declare the state government action as illegal as it had no power to withdraw cases against the respondents which were grave in nature.