Singareni Collieries told to appoint HIV+person under DE quota

Hyderabad: The High Court at Hyderabad has recently found fault with the Singareni Collieries for denying employment to a HIV-infected person under the dependent employment quota and directed it to give job to the person. If he is unable to work underground in the mines, he must be provided with other work overground, the court ordered.

Justice A Ramalingeshwar Rao gave this direction while hearing a writ petition filed by a person from Karimnagar district whose father working in Singereni was unable to work due to severe illness. His application for job under dependent employment quota was rejected citing HIV infection.

The counsel for the petitioner informed the judge that the petitioner's father worked for 25 long years in the company and due to illness, he was unable to continue and therefore the petitioner applied for the job. The Singareni Collieries in its counter affidavit informed the court that in the medical examination of the candidate it was found that he was infected with HIV and such persons cannot work underground in mines. Therefore, his application for job was rejected.

The judge rejected this argument and directed the company to provide employment to the petitioner and allot him work overground. He also directed that appointment orders must be issued within three months and observed that this order need not be a precedent for future cases, and it must be considered as a special case.