M.L SEEHTA Vs. KRISHNA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Learned Government Pleader is directed to take notice for respondents in W.P. Nos. 16779 to 16785 of 2012. The Government by issuing an advertisement inviting the applications from the qualified candidates, has appointed these petitioners for the purpose of supervision of the Libraries established at various Grama Panchayats. These petitioners claim that they have been appointed as Library Supervisors and are working for several years. However, their services have not been regularised.

(2.) The Government had issued a circular dated 2-1-2001 prescribing certain guidelines in the matter of appointing Library Supervisors on honorarium. Initially, these petitioners were paid Rs. 300/- per month, which was increased to Rs. 500/-, further, increased from: Rs. 500/- to Rs. 750/-; Rs. 750/- to Rs. 1,000/-; Rs. 1,000/- to Rs. 1,500/- and now, they are being paid Rs. 2,500/- per month.

(3.) Some of the petitioners claim to have been working for more than 10 years continuously and some of them for more than 5 years. It is also stated that they work for eight hours a day. However, due to shortage of power supply, they are working for seven hours a day. The duties and responsibilities of these persons are on par with the Assistant Librarians appointed in the Government Library. However, the Grama Panchayat and State have not taken any step to regularise the services of these petitioners as against the posts for which they have been engaged, nor they have been paid similar scale of pay, though the Grama Panchayat extract the work for eight hours a day.