HC Admits ITC Plea on PF to Contract Labour

Hyderabad: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court directed ITC to deposit Rs 10 lakh in an ongoing dispute on the liabilities of the petitioner under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Act. The writ petitioner had questioned an order imposing liability under the EPF Act holding that the petitioner, being the principal employee, was required to extend the benefits of PF to contract employees and labour and remit the same in respect of eligible labour trainees and retired employees. A single judge dismissed the writ petition holding that the main activity of manufacture of paper boards required basic raw materials, which are supplied by contractors. Persons working for supply contractors are to be considered as contract employees and therefore the demand was valid and legal. Aggrieved, ITC filed the appeal. The bench directed that no coercive steps be taken. In the meanwhile, the appellants shall deposit a sum of Rs 10 lakh.

Restore IIT seat to tribal candidate: HC

Justice M. Sudheer Kumar of the Telangana High Court directed the joint seat allocation authority of IIT Dharwad to admit Eslavath Vamshi Kalyan to his originally allotted seat. The judge allowed a writ petition questioning an order of the authorities cancelling the admission of the ST candidate. Counsel for the petitioner said that Kalyan, 19, came from a poor background, whose illiterate parents worked as daily-wage labourers, and had secured an all India 1033 rank in the ST category and was allotted a seat in mechanical engineering at IIT Dharwad. He could not pay the seat acceptance fees within the prescribed time due to unforeseen technical issues, which led to cancellation of the seat. The court, referring to its previous judgement, observed that the petitioner was diligent in attempting to accept the seat and followed all required steps online, but due to reasons beyond his control, he couldn't pay the fees on time.

HC to hear Trimulgherry bund bridge case

A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court sought information in a petition complaining about the construction of an illegal trench on the tank bund of Trimulgherry. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, was hearing a writ plea sought by Dr M.S. Tejashwari questioning the alleged illegal action of a local leader in digging a deep trench on the tank bund that is adjacent to her property. The authorities brought to the notice of the court that the petitioner had raised a similar issue in a writ petition before a single judge. It is also stated that the property is also the subject matter of a civil suit. Voicing prima facie doubt on how a writ petition was maintainable on the issue, the bench required the petitioner to place before the court all documents relating to the stated suit and writ petition. The bench will next hear the matter on July 31.