EMPLOYEES OF THE SRI VANI VILAS UPPER PRIMARY SCHOOL HYDERABAD Vs. DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICER SECUNDERABAD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE letter from the employees of Sri Vani Vilas Upper Primary School, Musheerabad, Hyderabad was taken up as a public interest litigation to redress the grievance of the benefit of Provident Fund not to have been given to the employees since the inception of the school from 1974. Notice having been given to respondents counter-affidavits have been filed by the first and second respondents on one side and third and fourth respondents on the other. In the counter-affidavit filedby the first and second respondents, the first respondent, the District Education Officer has averred that on getting the complaint of the Provident Fund being not worked out for the employees, an enquiry was made and proceedings have been issued in RC.No. 381/4/DIV/97 dated 23-6-1997 to open Teachers Provident Fund account with effect from April 1997 on behalf of all the eligible staff members of the school and further instructions have been issued for the deposit of subscriptions regularly in the account of the staff members concerned without fail. THE respondent explained that the school was established in the year 1958 without aid but was subsequently admitted to grant-in-aid in July 1976. THE Correspondent of the school had. intimated of proposals having been submitted in 1993 to accord permission to implement the Teachers Provident Fund Scheme for eligible teachers, the proposals were gutted in the fire accident which occurred in 1993, fresh proposals are submitted to implement the programme in the year 1997 and accordingly orders havebeen passed. In the counter affidavit filed by the third and fourth respondents, the Correspondent of the school had stated the Teachers Provident Fund Scheme to be covering all the 10 staff members of the school. On 6-12-1993 all the teachers have made applications to the Management of the school for implementation of the Teachers Provident Fund Scheme, which were forwarded on the same day to the first respondent as prior permission of the competent authority is necessary for operation of the programme. In April 1993, there was a fire accident in which the office of the District Education Officer was gutted. In the fire the proposal sent was also destroyed. THE Management again called for applications from the individuals and forwarded the same to the District Education Officer in the month of October 1993. However, the first respondent remained silent for quite some time and only in the first week of July 1997 summoned the Correspondent to his office and asked him to file fresh application. Eventually, in proceedings Rc.No. 453/14826/D4/97, dated 11-7-1997 permission has been granted for opening of Teachers Provident Fund for all the ten staff members.

(2.) IN view of the fact that the Teachers Provident Fund Scheme is already operating since April 1997, we do not find any necessity to further pursue this matter. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs.