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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT

HYDERABAD

THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE JUVVADI SRIDEVI

WRIT PETITION No.16757 of 2005

DATED: 24^th APRIL, 2026

Between

V. Raghava Rao and seven others …Petitioners

AND

The TSGENCO rep by its Managing Director and another

…Respondents

O R D E R

This Writ Petition is filed by the petitioners with the following

prayer:

“issue a writ order or direction more particularly one in the

nature of Writ of Mandmaus declaring the impugned action

of the respondents in issuing Memo No.

CE/O&M/KTPS/ADM/B2/D No.68/05, dated 30.04.2005

whereunder the request of the petitioners for grant of

additional increment which was allowed to the senior and

juniors to the petitioners has been rejected as highly illegal,

arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India

apart from principals of natural justice and consequently set

aside the same and pass such other order or orders in the

interest of justice”

02. Heard Sri B.V.N.S.Saritha, learned counsel,

representing Sri G.V. Shivaji, learned counsel for the petitioners and

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Sri Srinivasa Srikanth, learned counsel for the respondent Nos.1

and 2 and perused the record.

03(a). Learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the

petitioners had been working as Foreman Grade-I in the

respondent-corporation and that, in the absence of any promotion

channel from the said post, the respondent-corporation had taken a

decision to sanction one additional increment to employees working

in the category of Foreman Grade-I. However, a restriction was

imposed that such benefit would be admissible only to those who

had completed 25 years of service as on 04.12.2000.

03(b). It is further submitted that the petitioners had completed

25 years of service subsequent to the year 2000 and, therefore,

were similarly situated to those employees who were granted the

benefit merely on the ground that they had completed 25 years of

service as on 04.12.2000. The petitioners, however, were deprived

of the said benefit solely on the ground that they had completed 25

years of service after 04.12.2000, which is illegal and arbitrary.

03(c). It is further submitted that several employees, including

the petitioners, had made representations to the respondent-

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corporation seeking extension of the cut-off date beyond

04.12.2000. Considering such representations, the respondent-

corporation issued Memo No.GM/(IR)/AS(Ser)/243/M2/2002-5,

dated 08.02.2004, extending the cut-off date from 04.12.2000 to

31.12.2003 for the purpose of granting one additional increment.

However, the cases of the petitioners were rejected vide Memo No.

CE/O&M/KTPS/ADM/B2/D.No.68/05, dated 30.04.2005, on the

untenable and irrational ground that the petitioners had retired from

service prior to issuance of the Memo dated 08.02.2004.

03(d). It is further contended that the respondent-Corporation

subsequently issued another Memo dated 17.06.2005, further

extending the cut-off date for completion of 25 years of service from

01.01.2004 to 31.12.2005. It is further submitted that as on the

dates of retirement of the petitioners, their requests for grant of the

additional increment were pending consideration before the

respondent-corporation, and the decision to deny the said benefit

was taken only after their retirement. Therefore, it is contended that

the action of the respondents in denying the benefit of an additional

increment to the petitioners, while extending the same to both their

seniors and juniors, is illegal and arbitrary. Accordingly, he sought

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for a direction to the respondents to extend the benefit of one

additional increment to the petitioners on par with similarly situated

employees, in terms of Memo No. GM/(IR)/AS(Ser)/243/M2/2002-5,

dated 08.02.2004, and Memo No. CGM(IR)/DS(Ser.)/AS(Ser.I)

/PO.M/M2/243/02-8, dated 17.06.2005.

04(a). On the other hand, the learned Standing Counsel

appearing for the respondents submitted that the post of Foreman

Grade-I constitutes the highest category in the O&M Service, with

no further