T. RAVI KUMAR Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for the following relief:

(2.) Brief facts of the case are that the Petitioners have been working as Horticulture Officers in the office of the 3rd respondent since 28/5/2010 and that the Petitioners posses M.Sc. (Horticulture) Qualification and appointed on contract basis on a consolidated pay of Rs.15,000.00 + Rs.2,000.00 allowances per month. The Petitioners are working in the different Mandal's in Rampachodavaram Sub-Division in the Rubber Plantation Project. The duty of the Petitioners is to motivate the tribals towards plantation of Rubber in the tribal areas. It is stated that the Petitioners have to assist and advice the tribals for Rubber plantation. The Petitioners have been working since the year 2010 till date without any complaint and they continuing their services with a hope that their services with regularized by the respondents. The Petitioners are not being paid salary since the month of January 2019 till date but however they are serving as Horticulture Officers with a hope that the salaries will be paid by the respondents. It is stated the Petitioners had made representations dtd. 8/6/2020 and 11/9/2020 for payment of salaries to the respondents herein which is due since from the month of January 2019. While the matter stood thus, the 3rd respondent addressed a letter to the 2nd respondent dtd. 3/6/2020 wherein it is clearly stated that the Petitioners are working as Horticulture Officers for implementation of Rubber plantation Project in ITDA Rampachodavaram and the Salary/Honorarium is paid up to December 2018. It is further submitted the Petitioners are entitled for regularization of the service since there are working to a regular post. In fact the 3rd respondent has addressed a letter to the Managing Director A.P.S.T.C.F.C. Limited Vijayawada to consider their cases on regular bases. It is further stated the 2nd respondent issued a Memo dtd. 12/12/2019 addressing the project of ITDA to furnish information regarding the Horticulture officers working in ITDA Rampachodavaram and Paderu. It is further stated that the Petitioners are unable to maintain their families and incurring debts since salaries are not been paid from January 2019. Even though the petitioners made several representations, the respondents have not taken any action so far. Hence, the present writ petition.

(3.) This Court vide order dtd. 26/4/2023 in I.A.No.1 of 2023 has directed the respondents to pay the salaries to other petitioners, who are not paid salaries upto September 2020 within a period of two weeks from today