AP, TS govts rapped for non-payment of salaries to APAT staff

The High Court at Hyderabad took a serious view of both the State governments not honouring its orders passed in a case relating to non-payment of salaries to employees of AP Administrative Tribunal (APAT). It asked both the Advocate Generals why it should not summon the Chief Secretaries to the court to explain this inaction.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A Shankar Narayana was hearing a petition filed by K Srinivas, an advocate, seeking to declare the action against Telangana government authorities in not receiving the bills of APAT for salaries and maintenance as illegal.

The bench had during the last hearing directed both the Chief Secretaries of AP and Telangana State to meet before December 7 and take steps to sort out the dispute with regard to division of employees and assets of APAT between the States and report compliance by December 17.

The bench directed the AP government to bear the salaries of employees and maintenance of Tribunal for the month of November.

The counsel for the petitioner P V Krishnaiah informed the bench about the continued deprivation of salaries to the staff of APAT. The bench questioned the Advocate Generals as to why a report on compliance of its earlier order was not filed before the court.

Not satisfied with the replies of both the AGs, the bench pointed out that it was not proper for the governments to ignore an order of the court and said it may summon both the Chief Secretaries for not honoring the order of the Court.

When the bench posted the case for orders on Friday, both the AGs requested for time and the case has been adjourned to Monday.