IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) TUESDAY, THE TWELFTH DAY OF OCTOBER TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR PRESENT THE HON'BLE DR JUSTICE G.YETHIRAJULU WRIT PETITION NO : 15689 of 2004 Between: A.P.Tribal Welfare Teachers’ Union, rep.by its President, G.Bheemudu Naik, R/o.H.No.3-1-86/1, Sri Chaitanya Nagar, Indiranagar Colony, Khammam. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, rep. by its Prl. Secretary, Dept. of Tribal Welfare, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad. 2 The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, rep., by its Prl .Secretary, Dept. of School Education, Secretariat, Hyderabad. 3 The Commissioner and Director of School Education, Lakdikapool, Hyderabad. 4 The Commissioner of Tribal Welfare Department, T.S.Bhavan, Masab Tank, Hyderabad. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue a writ order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus declare the discriminatory attitude of the respondents in not including the tribal school teachers in best teachers award on the occasion of the Teachers Day i.e., on 5th September Every year as illegal, and arbitrary. Counsel for the Petitioner : Mr. JOGRAM TEJAVAT Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION The Court made the following ORDER: The petitioner is working as a Teacher in I.T.D.A. The Government of Andhra Pradesh issued G.O.Rt.434 Edn (Sr. IV) Department dated 23-8-2000 and G.O.Rt.500 Tr.I Department, dated 2-9-2002 introducing Best Teacher awards to the Teachers for their meritorious performance in discharging their duties. Twenty two categories of Institutions were recognized under the above Government Orders. But the Tribal schools under the control of the I.T.D.A, each having about ten thousand teachers, most of them belonging to tribal communities, were not included in the above Government Orders. The application made by the petitioner in his individual capacity was not considered on the ground that the teachers working under I.T.D.A are not included in the Government Orders and also on the ground that the District Selection Committee did not recommend the name of the petitioner for the award. The petitioner, therefore, approached this Court seeking a direction to the respondents to include Tribal schools working under I.T.D.A for selection of Best Teacher awards. The learned counsel for the respondents submitted that if the teachers of I.T.D.A make an application for inclusion of the I.T.D.A in one of the categories covered by the Government Order, the respondents would take necessary steps to include the said category of I.T.D.A into the list of the organizations for the purpose of consideration of awarding awards to such teachers, who rendered meritorious services in the schools under the control of I.T.D.A. In the light of the submissions made by both the parties, the petitioner is directed to make a representation to the 1st respondent through proper channel on behalf of the Association of the teachers working under I.T.D.A and the 1st respondent shall on receipt of such representation, include the Association of Teachers working under I.T.D.A also for the purpose of extending the benefit of selecting the teachers for meritorious awards and issue necessary proceedings for identifying the teachers working under I.T.D.A for the awards going to be given to the teachers during the year, 2005. The Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of. _____________________ (Dr. G.YETHIRAJULU,J) 12th October, 2004. Tsy/cs To 1 The Principal Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Dept. of Tribal Welfare, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad. 2 The Principal Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Dept. of School Education, Secretariat, Hyderabad. 3 The Commissioner and Director of School Education, Lakdikapool, Hyderabad. 4 The Commissioner of Tribal Welfare Department, T.S.Bhavan, Masab Tank, Hyderabad. 5 Two CCs to the GP for Education, High Court of A.P., Hyderabad (O.U.T.). 6 Two CD Copies.