Telangana defends absorbing contract employees

​Hyderabad: The Transmission Corporation Ltd (Transco) of Telangana on Wednesday asserted before the High Court at Hyderabad that there was nothing wrong in absorbing the outsourced personnel working in the power utilities into regular posts. It also informed the court that a lengthy process is involved in absorbing the outsourced personnel.

Senior counsel G Vidyasagar, who appeared for the Transco submitted to the division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice T Rajani that Transco had taken the decision in this regard.

The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation petition filed by M Sravan Kumar, an unemployed engineering graduate from Warangal district, challenging the proceedings issued by the Transco to absorb outsourced persons in 23,699 regular posts of Assistant Engineers/ Sub-Engineers and other unskilled workers in the Southern and Northern Power Distribution Companies and also Telangana State Power Generation Corporation.

Senior counsel Sarasani Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, argued that outsourcing employees were engaged by the private contractors and were in no way connected with the Transco and its other companies. Therefore, there is neither obligation nor authority to absorb the outsourced workers.

He asserted that such absorption is against the orders of the Supreme Court. Such action by the Transco would also cause irreparable loss to the large number of unemployed youth in the State.

Vidyasagar opposed these contentions and instead argued that a PIL on service matters is not maintainable. He also brought to the notice of the bench that the decision to absorb the outsourced workers and employees is also driven by the various decisions of the Tribunals.

The bench directed the respondents to file the counter affidavits, and posted the case to next week.
Construction in FTL of Masab Cheruvu stayed

The High Court on Wednesday made it clear on Wednesday that no further construction shall take place in Full Tank Level (FTL) area of Masab Cheruvu situated in Turkayamjal Village under Abdullapurmet Mandal in Ranga Reddy district.

The division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice T Rajani gave this direction while hearing a PIL petition filed by Zilla Cheruvula Parirakshna Samithi, Ranga Reddy, through its president G R Karunakar.

The petitioner complained that in the name of Goshalas, new constructions are being made in the FTL area. He filed the documents of HMDA to show that Survey number 135 and 136 are in FTL area and despite that the Gram Panchyat had given permission for constructions in favour of Pujya Sri Ramachandra Dongreji Maharaj Gowshala as per directions of RDO and local MLA.

The bench directed the respondents, including HMDA, Gram Panchyat, District Collector, and other officials concerned to stop all the further constructions and file a counter affidavit in two weeks.