MD AZAMATIIULLA KHAN Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Whether Law graduates working in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and the subordinate courts holding ministerial posts, for which a degree in Law is not a necessary qualification, are entitled to the advance increments allowed to certain other categories of State Government employees under G.O.Ms.No. 182, Finance & Planning (FW.PRC.I)Department, dated 17-7-1987, is at issue in this batch of writ petitions.

(2.) The petitioners, ministerial employees working in the High Court as well as subordinate courts, all Law graduates, filed these writ petitions seeking a mandamus to the State Government to treat them at par with certain categories of employees covered by G.O.Ms.No.182 dated 17-7-1987 for the purpose of entitlement to advance increments. Because of commonality of the questions involved for decision, we are inclined to dispose of all the writ petitions by this cornmon judgment.

(3.) Among the High Court employees figuring as petitioners in this batch of writ petitions are Assistant Registrars, Court Officers/Section Officers, Court Masters, Deputy Section Officers, Assistant Section Officers, Junior Assistants, Typists, Examiners etc., The rest of the writ petitions pertain to the employees working in the subordinate courts occupying the posts of Sheristadars, Nazirs, Deputy Nazirs, Translators, Senior Assistants, Junior Assistants, Typists, Copyists, Examiners etc. A degree in Law is not one of the essential qualifications prescribed for the posts all the petitioners are holding. Some of them acquired the degree in Law even before the date of their entry into the service and the others, after their entry into the service by studying in the evening Law Colleges.