HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state government to submit its contentions in one week on a petition complaining of government inaction in regularising the services of 9,335 junior panchayat secretaries (JPS) appointed in 2018, even after the probation period ended.
The direction was issued by Justice P. Madhavi Devi who was dealing with a petition filed by Telangana Panchayat Secretaries Federation. The federation had requested the court to direct the government to regularise the services of the JPSes as panchayat secretary Grade-IV with effect from the expiry of initial three years of agreement at the time of appointment.
Pogulakonda Pratap, counsel representing the federation, told the court that the government had made a compulsory agreement in 2018 with the JPSes as they should work three years on probation. After satisfactory of completion of the probation period, their services would be regularised as the panchayat secretary, Grade- IV. But, through GO Ms No. 26 of July 15, 2021, the government had unilaterally extended the probation period to four years.
Counsel said that even after the end of the extended tenure, the government had failed to regularise the services and had ignored the federation’s representations.
The court opined that it was a prima facie case of violations by the government and directed the principal secretary, commissioner of panchayat raj department, to file its contentions within one week.
