HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF ANDHRA PRADESH THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T.MEENA KUMARI WRIT PETITION No. 5577 OF 2000 Thursday, the Twelfth Day of August, Two Thousand and Ten Between G.Kalebu and others Petitioners AND The Principal Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Public Enterprises (II) Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and others Respondents ORAL ORDER: The action of the respondents in negativing the proposal to keep the cut off date for security staff of Nellore Cooperative Spinning Mills Limited, Nellore, for completion of V.R.S. claims as 1.8.1999 instead of 4.3.1997 in Letter No.219/PE.II/99 dated 23.10.1999, is assailed by the petitioners in this writ petition. The petitioners were engaged as Security staff in the Nellore Cooperative Spinning Mills Limited, established in the year 1970. Since the said industry fell sick it was closed with effect from 19.4.1997, but the petitioners continued to guard the properties and assets of the industry. The Government sanctioned voluntary retirement scheme prescribing the cut off date as 4.3.1997. It is the case of the petitioners that since they continued even after the closure of the industry, the cut off date for the security staff has to be fixed as 1.8.1999 instead of 4.3.1997, which it negatived by the Government. Hence, this writ petition. A bare look at the reliefs sought to be agitated in this writ petition, makes it clear that the writ jurisdiction of this court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India cannot be invoked. The petitioners have to seek remedy before the appropriate authority. Therefore, while disposing of the writ petition, liberty is reserved to the petitioners to approach the authority under Payment of Gratuity Act. It is made clear that in the event of the petitioners approaching the authority, the said Authority is directed to dispose of the matter within three months from the date of filing such application. No order as to costs. ________________________ Justice T. Meena Kumari August 12, 2010 MAS