Talangana HC warns Rangareddy collector over contempt in pay scale case
HYDERABAD: Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court has pulled up Rangareddy District Collector C Narayana Reddy for failing to comply with a prior court order regarding the payment of minimum scale of pay to three office subordinates.
The court has granted a final four-week deadline for compliance, warning that failure to act could invite punishment under the Contempt of Courts Act.
The contempt proceedings stem from an earlier high court order dated April 2, 2024, directing the authorities to process the petitioners' claims for minimum pay scale in light of the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in State of Punjab and Others vs. Jagjit Singh and Others. The ruling mandates that temporary workers performing duties similar to those of permanent employees should receive equal pay for equal work.
Despite clear directions, Narayana Reddy, who was then the Nalgonda district collector, passed a 'speaking order' on August 5, 2024, rejecting the petitioners' representations. He cited the petitioners' lack of employment in regular sanctioned posts as grounds for denial.
In response, the petitioners' counsel argued that the collector's stand was a deliberate deviation from the high court's order.
Justice Madhavi Devi observed that the IAS officer had intentionally overlooked the SC ruling and failed to apply the legal standards laid down in the April 2 order.
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