HC Issues Notices on Appointment of TS Wage Board Chairman and Member

Rapid Summary

• Telangana High Court issued notices too the State government regarding a PIL challenging the appointment of B. Janak Prasad as chairman and S. Narasimha Reddy as a member of the Telangana State Wage Advisory Board.
• A bench led by Chief Justice Aparesh kumar Singh and Justice P. Sam Koshy instructed the government to respond within four weeks.
• The petitioner,Ganji Raju,through his counsel Chikkudu Prabhakar,argued that the appointments violated Section 8(2) and 9 of the Minimum Wages Act 1948 and Articles 14,19,and 21 of the Constitution.
• The counsel contended that members of such boards should be autonomous individuals without holding another office or affiliation. Both appointees are connected with Singareni Coal Mines Labour Union (affiliated to INTUC) and maintain roles in political organizations.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The PIL raises critical questions about adherence to statutory provisions under labour laws and constitutional principles concerning equality (Article 14), freedom (Article 19), and personal liberty (Article 21).If upheld, these appointments could set a precedent for interpreting “independence” in critically important advisory board positions in india, influencing clarity norms across states.This case highlights how integrating political affiliations into public office roles may challenge ethical governance standards crucial for maintaining neutrality while addressing workers’ rights.

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