HC stays SPDCL seniority list

The Hyderabad High Court has stayed the seniority list prepared in 2016 by the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited to promote divisional engineers of the company as superintendent engineers.

Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao granted the order while dealing with a petition by P. Raghavendra Rao and five other divisional engineers of the SPDCL challenging the failure of the authorities to consider them for promotions to the posts of superintendent engineers.

K. Lakshmi Narasimha, counsel for the petitioners, told the court that the petitioners have been continued in the SPDCL as their allotment to AP was stayed by the High Court as it was prima facie found to be illegal. This was also considered by the Apex Court which directed the SPDCL to continue with them.

However, the SDPCL authorities prepared the seniority list without considering the petitioners for promotions contending that their services were with the SDPCL based on the court orders, Dr Narasimha said. He said that the company has been paying their salaries but their services cannot be considered for the promotions.

He argued that the orders of the High Court and apex court were not only for salaries, but for all purposes, including promotions.

While setting aside the seniority list, the judge made it clear that the SPDCL cannot create two categories, one of engineers who hail from AP and the other of engineers of Telangana origin.

The judge directed the SPDCL to follow the seniority list of 2013 for promotions.