Hyderabad High Court tells Singareni to consider case of HIV+

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has directed the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SC-CL) to consider the case of a petitioner who was found to be HIV positive, for employment in surface duties under the Dependent Employment Scheme. Justice A. Ramalingeswara Rao was allowing the plea of the petitioner challenging the action of the superintendent of mines in issuing a letter on October 31, 2016, denying him employment.

The petitioner’s father had worked as general mazdoor, Mine GDK 5 Incline, Ramagundam-I, for 25 years and had become medically unfit. He had submitted an application seeking employment for his son the under Dependent Employment Quota. The petitioner was examined by the medical board and declared unfit as he was suffering from HIV.

SCCL said the employees harbouring dangerous viruses, such as HIV/Hepatitis-B, were not allowed to work underground. Those who were infected were employed in surface departments. Mr K. Sanjeev, counsel for the petitioner, said the petitioner could not be denied employment on the ground he was HIV positive.

Justice Ramalingeswara Rao said, “If the petitioner is medically fit for surface duties, the case should be considered as he is entitled for employment under the Dependent Employment Scheme.

Siddipet land order stalled
The Hyderabad High Court has suspended the operation of an order passed by the Siddipet collector on August 5, 2017 enhancing the market value of land in various villages under special revision.

Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao was dealing with a petition by Mr S. Narsimha Reddy and 23 other farmers from Vemulaghat. They were aggrieved by the collector revising the market value of the land without authority and in violation of the statutory procedures.

Counsel for the petitioners said that due to this arbitrary and legally invalid revision, the lands of the petitioner were grossly undervalued and they are denied true value of their landed properties. He said that the prevalent market rate for these lands was around Rs 10 lakh per acre but the collector had fixed it at Rs 85,000 per acre.

Tonsure case stay extended
The Hyderabad High Court on Thursday extended its December 13 interim order till January 19, staying pronouncement of judgement by a trial court in Visakhapatnam in the case of tonsuring of Dalits in East Godavari district in 1997.

Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a petition by Mr Koti China Raju and two other victims, challenging the action of the revenue authorities in not issuing a caste certificate recognising them as belonging to the Scheduled Castes, and supplying the certificates to the special public prosecutor. Earlier, the HC had directed the authorities to issue the caste certificates to the petitioners and asked the public prosecutor to place their caste certificates before the trial court.