Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has come to the rescue of women aspiring for the posts of Junior linemen (JLM) in the Telangana State Northern Power Distribution Company Ltd (TSNPDCL) by directing the organisation to receive applications from women candidates manually and allowing them to compete for the posts.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, while dealing with a petition by Ms Humera Anjum, Ms V. Mamatha and five others challenging the action of the TSNPDCL in inviting the applications for the posts of JLM only from the male candidates, directed the organisation not to declare the results of the selections till further orders.
The petitioners told the court that the TSNPDCL issued the notification on February 16, 2018 inviting applications via online process for the posts of JLM only from the male candidates without providing space for women applicants.
Mr Sunkara Chandraiah, counsel for the petitioners contended that when the women were allowed to compete for the posts of sub-inspectors, inspectors, DSPs in Police, Excise and Transport Departments and even for the posts of drivers, denying them the opportunity of JLM posts was nothing but showing discrimination towards them.
He also contended that the notification was in violation of the Regulation 22-A of the APSEB Employees Service Regulations.
He urged the court to direct the TSNPDCL to provide 33 1/3 reservations to the women in terms of Regulation 22-A (ii)of the APSEB Employees Service Regulations. The judge directed that petitioners be issued applications for the said posts and that their applications should be received manually.
