THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI WRIT PETITION No. 3083 OF 2000 ORAL ORDER: The inaction on the part of the respondent in absorbing the petitioners as Watchman or Attender or in any other initial recruitment cadre is questioned in this writ petition. The petitioners were appointed in the erstwhile A.P. State Electricity Board and after bifurcation, they were the working in the respondent Corporation from July, 1994 to June, 1996 like several other persons who worked as casual labours, Village Electricity Workers, etc. The erstwhile A.P. State Electricity Board had entered into settlement with the major trade unions on 17.5.1997 to fill up 50% of the vacancies in initial recruitment cadre with the casual labours, Village Electricity Workers and Contract Labours and BP Ms. No. 36 dated 18.5.1997 came to be issued. It is the case of the petitioners 1 to 4 that when the respondent authorities tried to terminate their services, they filed WP No. 20280 of 1998 and this court by order dated 10.3.1999 directed the respondent authorities to consider the cases of contract labour engaged by an unlicensed contractor. It is stated that for long they are working against the regular and sanctioned posts. Hence, this writ petition. When this writ petition had come up for hearing, on the representation of the learned counsel for the petitioners that there is a threat of disengaging the petitioners by the contractor, which will deny them the benefit, on 7.2.2001 this court directed the respondents to continue the petitioners on the same terms and conditions. Without expressing any merits or demerits on the contentions raised herein, in view of the interim direction granted by this court and in view of the settlement arrived at between the trade unions and the Erstwhile A.P. State Electricity Board, the respondents authorities are directed to consider the cases of the petitioners in terms of the settlement dated 17.5.1997. With this direction, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. ___________________________ Justice T. Meena Kumari 22.7.2010 CHV