R.Laxmi Vs The State of Telangana — Writ and Judicial Review | Telangana HC (2025)

R.Laxmi Vs The State of Telangana — Writ and Judicial Review | Telangana HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petition allowed with consent of parties: impugned proceedings dated 23.03.2018 of respondent No. 3 set aside insofar as the petitioners are concerned; respondent No. 1 directed to take appropriate decision on re-engagement of the petitioners in accordance with law, preferably within eight weeks; miscellaneous petitions pending, if any, stand closed; no order as to costs.

Issue for consideration

Whether the impugned proceedings dated 23.03.2018 of respondent No. 3 terminating the petitioners' services as Village Revenue Assistants and limiting salary arrears up to 30.04.2012 (with consequential termination proceedings of respondent No. 4) are liable to be set aside, and whether the petitioners are entitled to continuation/re-engagement in service with consequential benefits and payment of arrears.

Court's answer

The impugned proceedings dated 23.03.2018 issued by respondent No. 3 are set aside insofar as the petitioners are concerned.

Ratio / Principle

Respondent No. 1 is directed to take an appropriate decision on the re-engagement of the petitioners, in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the order (the VRA system having been abolished).

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Telangana High Court (Pulla Karthik, J.), 22-01-2025, Writ Petition No. 6794 of 2024: Four Village Revenue Assistants of Kollapur Mandal, Nagar Kurnool District, aggrieved by proceedings dated 23.03.2018 of the District Collector (respondent No. 3) terminating their services and limiting salary arrears up to 30.04.2012, together with consequential termination proceedings (RC Nos. N1044/2005-1, -5, -12 and -11 dated 06-06-2022) of the Tahsildar (respondent No. 4), sought a writ of mandamus invoking Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. With the consent of the parties, and as counsel's submission that the case was squarely covered by the order dated 03.10.2023 in W.P. No. 31901 of 2018 was not disputed by the learned Government Pleader for Services-I, the Court, for reasons alike in that order, set aside the impugned proceedings insofar as the petitioners were concerned and, since the VRA system stood abolished, directed respondent No. 1 (Principal Secretary, Revenue Department) to take an appropriate decision on the petitioners' re-engagement in accordance with law, preferably within eight weeks of receipt of a copy of the order. Writ petition allowed; miscellaneous petitions closed; no order as to costs.

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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction)

WEDNESDAY, THE TWENTY SECOND DAY OF JANUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE

PRESENT

THE HONOURABLE,SRI JUSTICE PULLA KARTHIK

WRIT PETITION NO:6794 oF 2024

Between:

R.Laxmi, Q/o. Rup Singh, Aged about 38 years, Occ. Village Revenue Assistant, Kollalrur (V),- Koll5pur (M), Nagdr KLirnoot Distridt (erstwhile Mahabubnagar_District) Presently residing a[ Mannanoor (V), Amrdbad (M), Nagar Kurnool District.

S. Saritha, D/o. Venkat Reddy, Aged about 42 years, Occ. Village Revenue Assistant, Pentlavelli (V), Kollapur (lU), Nagar Kurnool District,^presentty residing at Venkateshwarla Bavi (V), Amrabad (M), Nagar Kurnool District.

Vislavath Ramulu, S/o. Hanman Naik, Aged about 45 years, Occ. Village Revenue Assistant, Pentlavelli (V), Kollapur (M), Nagir Kurnool Distri6t, Presently residing al Mannanoor (V), Amrabad (M), Nagai Kurnool District.

V. Krishna. Naik, S/o. Hanman Naik, Aged about 38 years, Occ. Village Revenue Assistant, Kollapur (V), Kollapur (M), Nagai Kuinoot Distric"t,, Presently residing at Mannanoor (V), Amrabad (M), Nagar Kurnool District.

...PETITIONERS

AND

1 The State of Telangana, Rep. by Principal Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad

2 The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Opposite Annapurna Hotel, Nampally Station Road, Abids, Hyderabad - 500001

The District Collector, Nagar Kurnool, Office of the Collectora,te, Nagar Kurnool District.

The Tahsildar, Kollapur Mandal, Nagarkurnool District

...RESPONDENTS

Petition under Arlicle 226 of the Constitution of lndia praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit fildd therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction (i) Declaring the impugned Proceedings bearing No. At l4273l2o1g daled 231O312O18 issued by Respondent No. 3 directing the termination of the service of the Petitioners and limiting the arrears of salaries payable to them only

up to 3o/04/2012' as^{being illegal, arbitrary, Unconstitutional,in ,iolationof the} principles of natLrral^{justiceand in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the} constitution of lndia and^{consequently to set aside the same (ii) consequently,} set aside the^{termination proceedingsbearing proceedingsinRc No'} N1O44|2OO5-1 ,Rc No.tul044/2005-5,^{Rc'NoN1O44|2OO5-12' Rc No'} N1O44]2OO5-11,^{tlt.o6to6l2o22of the Respondent No.4.(iii) corrsequently, to} directtheRespondentstocontinuethePetitionersinthepostofVillageRevenue Assistantwheretheywereworkingearlier,oranyotherposttoWhichother individualsworkingasVillageRevenueAssistantmaybeabscrrbed,withall consequential benefits^{and also to directthe respondentsto pay arrearsof salary} honorarium and other^{servicebenefits from 2510412012till date'}

lA NO: 1 OF 2024

Petition under section^{151 CPC praying that in the circumstancesstated in} the affidavit filed in support^{of the petition, the High court maybe pleased} suspend the Proceedings^{bearingA71427312009,daled2310312t)18 issuedby} RespondentNo'3andtheconsequentialterminationproceedingsinRc.No. N1O44|2OO5-1 , Rc.No.^{N1O44|2OO5'5, Rc No. N104412005-12,Rc No'} N1O44:2OO5-11^. dt.06-06-2022^{of the Respondent No. 4 and consequently permit} the Petitioners to continue^{workingin the post of Village Revenue Assistant where} they were working^{earlier with all consequential benefits pendingdisposalof the} above writ^petition.

Counsel for the Petitioner^{: SRI C.RA.JA SEKHAR REDDY}

Counsel for the Respondents:^{GP FORSERVICES I}

The Court made the following:^ORDER

( {

THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE PULLA KARTHIK

WRIT PETITIoN No.6794 of2024

ORDER:

With the consent of .the parties, the Writ petition is disposed of.

2l Aggrieved by the action of respondents in terminating the services of the petitioners, the present Writ petition is filed,

Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners arrd learned Government Pleader for Services-I appearing for the respondents.

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When the matter is taken up for hearing, the learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the lrs raised in the present Writ petition is squarely covered by the order dated o3.7o-2o23 passed in w.p. No.31901 of 2o1g. Learned counsel has further submitted that since VRA System is abolished, suitable direction may be given to the respondents to take appropriate decision on the re-engagement of the petitioners.

The above made submission is not disputed by the learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents.

I

2 PK,J i.up 6794 2024

i')

In view of the above and for the reasons alike in the order dated 03.1O.2O23 passed in W.P. No.31901 of 2018, the impugned proceedings bearing No.A7 l4273l2Ot)9, dated 23.03.2018, issued by respondent No.3 is set aside. insofar as the petitioners are concerned, and respondent No.1 is directed to take appropriate decision on the re-engagement of the petitioners, in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possibie, preferably, nithin a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

7l Accordingly, the Writ Petition is allou,ed.

Miscellaneous pedtions pending, if any, shall stilnd closed. There shall be no order as to costs

SD/. P.Ch. NAGABHUSH BA ASSISANT REGI RAR

//TRUE COPY//

SECTIO OFFICER

To, 'l . The Principal Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department' Secretariat, State of Telangana,^Hyderabad

The Chief Commissioner^of Land^{Administration, OppositeAnnapurnaHotel,} Nampally Station Road, Abids,^{Hyderabad - 500001}

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The District Collector,^{NagarKurnool, Office of the Collectora,te, Nagar} Kurnool District.

4 The Tahsildar, Kollapur Mandal,^{NagarkurnoolDistrict}

5 One CC to SRI C.RAJA SEKHAR^{REDDY,Advocate.} [OPUC]

6 Two CCs to GP FOR SERVICES l,^{High Court for theStateof Telangana} tourl

7 Two CD Copies.

v,

BSK GJP

HIGH COURT

DATED:2210112025

ORDER

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WP.No.6794 of 2024

ALLOWING THE WRIT PETITION WITHOUT GOSTS

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