Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Wednesday stated that it was unfair to prevent the women’s jail deputy superintendent, from being promoted to the rank of superintendent.
The high court struck down a rule in the Telangana Jail Rules, which bars women from holding the position. The rule was called discriminatory by the bench hearing the case. The bench struck down the rule from the AP Jail Service Rules issued on August 17, 1996, by the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. These rules were later adopted by the newly formed state of Telangana.
The bench pointed out that the guidelines prevent women from being promoted to a higher rank. The bench further observed that the post of women superintendent is not mentioned in the rule book and that all deputy superintendents are eligible to apply for promotion.
A bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice A Rajasheker Reddy struck down the government order to the extent of this incompatible rule after hearing a petition filed by T Venkatalakshmi Srinadh, deputy superintendent of Warangal’s central prison.
The bench directed the state to conduct a special committee meeting to consider the petitioner’s plea for promotion as superintendent.
Petitioner to be paid allowances for her services.
The state and the prison wing were directed to come up with a scheme to help the women officers get their due. Senior counsel G Vidya Sagar was of the view that it was unfair to not consider the name of the petitioner despite all her qualifications and service credentials just for the fact that she is a woman.
The court also directed that the petitioner be paid her allowances and arrears for the two years of service she rendered.