Hyderabad: The Telangana high court has stayed the transfer of employees of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS), holding that the state-level empowered committee (SLEC) issued its circular on transfer guidelines in violation of earlier court orders.The petitioners had challenged the circular, arguing that it introduced a uniform HR policy and transfer guidelines without inviting objections from affected employees. They contended that the circular ran contrary to constitutional provisions, the Cooperative Societies Act, and guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India and Nabard. Taking note of these submissions, Justice Pulla Karthik observed that the SLEC circular is liable to be set aside. The court directed the respondents, including the Telangana State Co-operative Apex Bank, Nabard, and the district central cooperative banks of Rangareddy, Sangareddy, and Medchal alkajgiri, to call for objections from those who have not yet joined service or who continue to have grievances regarding their service conditions, and to take a decision thereafter. “However, in gross violation, the SLEC issued a circular duly approving and providing the guidelines to be followed by the district-level empowered committees for the implementation of the transfer policy, so as to effect transfers,” Justice Karthik recorded in his order. The court also issued notices to all respondents, directing them to show cause on or before Oct 7, the next date of hearing. In the meantime, the high court ordered that status quo regarding the transfer policy for PACS employees be maintained until further orders.
