HC to hear plea on Parl Secys

The High Court said that it will decide on Friday whether there is balance of convenience in favour of the petitioners or not to grant an interim order regarding pleas pertaining to the appointment of Parliament Secretaries by the TS government.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar while hearing petitions challenging the creation of the post of the parliamentary secretary, told counsels for the petitioners and the advocate general to confine their arguments to whether an interim order can be granted at this stage as the matter required a detailed examination and there was no time to hear the case in view of fast approaching summer vacation.

Congress MP G. Sukhender Reddy and TD MLA A. Revanth Reddy have moved separate petitions challenging the TS Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, salaries, allowances and miscellaneous provisions) Act, 2015.

Stressing on the need for an interim stay, counsel for the petitioner said that the Act did not specify the appointees’ duties.

Advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy said the government made the Act only to decide the salaries of the Parliamentary Secretaries and the secretaries will assist the ministers in the Assembly.

The bench said in the present case the question arises about providing benefits to these Parliamentary Secretaries through the exchequer and it will take a decision on Friday.