Telangana High Court says it will keep monitoring home transportation of migrant workers

Hyderabad: The High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Friday heard two public interest litigations seeking the transportation of migrant workers to their respective states.

Petitioner Counsel Vasudha Nagaraj informed the bench that 418 migrant workers have been transported. These arrangements must be continued for another two weeks so that the migrant workers will not face difficulties in returning to their native states. Moreover, It will lead to averting public health crisis in Secunderabad station, Vasudha Nagaraj added.

Chief Justice Chauhan pointed out to the Advocate General that he didn't think the government would have any difficulty in continuing this process. AG Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the court that the State will continue the transportation of migrant workers from Telangana to their respective native States.

Standing counsel for Railways Pushpinder Kaur informed the bench that since three days 113 migrant workers of Bihar State have been transported allotting them seats in emergency quota in the Secunderabad-Danapur Express train. Further, If any migrants land at Secunderabad Railway station, we will arrange seats in emergency quota as well, Kaur said.

Standing counsel for Railways requested the bench to close the two PILs as Railways has given assurance and have done their best in sending the migrant workers by allotting emergency quota seats.

Chief Justice RS Chauhan said that under Article 226 and under our constitutional duties we are bound to supervise, the court is concerned about the plight of the migrant workers and he didn't think anything is wrong with that.

However, CJ pointed out that this court is obliged to continue, supervise the transportation of the migrant workers in order to ensure that the migrant workers are not stranded in Secunderabad, till the day they may be reached the respective destination. The bench disposed of PIL no.94 and another PIL no. 103 was adjourned to July 16.

Ordinance on pensions: Notice issued to State government

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy on Friday heard the writ petition challenging the ordinance of State government on deferment of pension.

Petitioner counsel Chikkudu Prabhakar informed the bench that this ordinance is not only violating the fundamental rights of pensioners and family pensioners but also encroaching the powers of the High Court Chief Justice under Article 229 (3) of the constitution of India.

The Chief Justice Bench issued notice to the Government and tagged similar PILs challenging the ordinance. For further hearing, the case has been adjourned to July 10.

CJ Bench irked over PIL on recruitment of policemen

Hyderabad: The High Court Chief Justice Bench on Friday was annoyed after reading the prayer of public interest litigation filed by advocate Rapolu Bhaskar seeking to direct the State government to recruit 40,000 policemen and 20,000 home guards as per the population in the state of Telangana.

The PIL sought an increase in the salary of policemen and home guards by 50 per cent along with bonus and incentives to the police and to provide the financial amount of Rs 50 lakhs to every deceased family of police impacted due to coronavirus in the State. It also sought to provide the necessary personal protective equipment kits of quality masks, sanitizers gloves, helmets, medical kits, testing machines to all the police officials who are working in the State.

The other issues included were:

• To sanitize the police stations and concerned department offices and also to provide the disinfection machines in police stations,

• Provide double bedroom houses to police constables and home guards who are poor and not having their own houses.

• To provide the EPF, Health and Accidental insurance facilities to the police and Home guards as well to conduct the awareness programmes in the public regarding the crimes and law.

• To ask the concerned authorities to submit the reports of vacancies and necessary steps taken by the respondents and concerned officers in the interest of justice.

After seeing the prayer of the PIL, Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan told the petitioner's counsel M.Rangaiah that it's a highly misplaced Writ Petition. 'Any of your relief can never be granted. It is up to them how many people to recruit and how many people not to recruit. Tell me under which law that I can force the employer to start the recruitment process, can ever it be done, such a mandamus ever be issued by any court of law', CJ asked.

'The petition does not know what exactly it is asking for, that there are too many causes of action been rolled up in one' CJ Chauhan commented. Irked over the petition he queried whether 'anything else you would like to add, you are not asking for LTC to be granted, for foreign tours to be granted, etc'. Moreover, Chief Justice said if the police are aggrieved by the contentions, they are welcome to approach the court and dismissed the public interest litigation.