**Telangana Government Fills 9,911 Square Meters of Potholes in Three Months**
On Wednesday, the Telangana government informed the Telangana High Court that it has successfully filled 9,911 square meters of potholes in the last three months and 2,78,026 square meters over the past three to six months. The Roads and Buildings department provided a district-wise breakdown of these repairs in a detailed status report.
According to the chief engineer, pothole repairs are ongoing and continuous. The government has introduced measures to streamline the handling of pothole grievances, including the development of an app in collaboration with Telangana Technology Services (TGTS). This app is designed to help citizens report potholes and track repair progress.
This update came during a hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning road conditions and potholes. In response, the High Court directed the government to create an app for filing pothole complaints and mandated that action reports be uploaded to the R&B department’s dedicated website. The court also requested a status report on pothole conditions in the Hyderabad Metropolitan area and the measures taken to address them.
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HC Orders Review of Seniority in Power Utilities
Justice T. Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court has instructed the principal secretary (energy) and TGTRANSCO to reassess the
implementation date of the merit-cum-seniority rule for employees. The directive follows a writ petition filed by the Telangana Electricity OC Employees Welfare Association, which challenged the rule’s application from 2009 onward, arguing it violates APSEB Service Regulations and negatively impacts employees recruited since 1986.
Petitioners argued that the merit-cum-seniority rule should be applied retrospectively from 1986, in line with Supreme Court precedents such as Bimlesh Tanwar Vs. State of Haryana. They contended that the application of the rule from 2009 is unjustified.
Respondents, citing the Supreme Court’s 2008 judgment in Raj Karan Singh vs. State of Punjab, argued that revisiting seniority prior to 2009 would be administratively challenging due to previous promotions based on the current seniority list.
After reviewing the arguments, the court acknowledged the rule’s intended application but found merit in the petitioner’s request for a retrospective application. It directed the principal secretary and TGTRANSCO to consider extending the rule’s application to 1986 and to issue appropriate orders within three months.
The court also allowed the association to submit representations to other relevant parties.
Full Court Bids Warm Farewell to Retiring Judge
The Telangana High Court, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, held a farewell ceremony for Justice Sambasivarao Naidu, who retired after a distinguished career. The ceremony, held in the First Court Hall, was attended by judges, advocates, and court staff.
Justice Naidu was praised for his warm and approachable nature, earning admiration from both the Bar and the Bench. In his farewell speech, Justice Naidu expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice, fellow judges, court staff, and his personal staff for their support and dedicated service. The event was also attended by Justice D Nagarjuna of the Madras High Court and other members of the legal community.
