M/S Sri Venkateswara Padmavathi Company, v. The Singareni Collieries Company Limited,

HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE A. RAJASHEKER REDDY WRIT PETITION No.43014 OF 2017 ORDER:

When the Writ Petition is taken up for hearing, it is submitted by the learned counsel for petitioner as well as the learned Standing Counsel appearing for respondents that the subject matter of this Writ Petition is squarely covered by a common judgment rendered by a learned single Judge of this Court in W.P.No.11107 of 2009 and batch, dated 30.03.2011.

2. In view of the submission made by the learned counsel for parties and following the common judgment, dated 30.03.2011, rendered in W.P.No.11107 of 2009 and batch, for the reasons recorded therein, this Writ Petition is also disposed of with the following directions:

a) The Regional Commissioner or any Officer authorized by him shall first issue a notice to the petitioner to decide whether the activity undertaken by the petitioner comes within the definition of Coal Mines. It shall be open to the petitioner to submit explanation;

b) in the event of the activity being declared as the one in Coal Mine, the employees shall be enrolled as members, subject to their fulfillment of the prescribed conditions, the respondents shall assign account numbers and issue cards and the deductions shall be made with reference to the account numbers and cards so issued, periodically;

c) till such time, no deductions shall be made, but if it is held that the petitioner is liable, at a later point of time, it shall be under obligation to pay the arrears also;

d) the amount deducted from the petitioner, so far, shall be kept in FDRs and the manner in which it shall be utilized shall be decided depending upon the outcome of the exercise undertaken above; and e) the authority of the Coal Mines Provident Fund shall ensure that it does not deduct any amount, without reference to a particular employee, who is admitted to the provident fund.

Miscellaneous Petitions, if any, pending in this Writ Petition shall stand closed. There shall be no order as to costs. __________________________ A. RAJASHEKER REDDY, J December 18, 2017 MD