IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE TWENTY SEVENTH DAY OF JANUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TEN PRESENT THE HON'BLE MS JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION No. 960 OF 2010 Between: S.S.Rao ..... PETITIONER AND APSRTC, Rep. by its Managing Director, Bus Bhavan, RTC ‘X’ Road, Hydeabad and others .....RESPONDENTS Counsel for the Petitioner: Counsel for the Respondents: The Court made the following : THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI WRIT PETITION No. 960 OF 2010 ORDER : The petitioner, working as a driver in Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is aggrieved by the order dated 08.01.1998 passed by the 3rd respondent imposing the penalty of deferment of annual increment when next falls due for a period of one year as confirmed by the 2nd respondent vide his proceedings dated 04.09.2002. At the outset, it is contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner that since the punishment imposed against the petitioner i.e. withholding of annual increment with cumulative effect is a major penalty, the 3rd respondent ought not to have passed the impugned order without conducting Departmental enquiry. The petitioner’s plea that it is a major penalty, could not be disputed by the learned standing counsel for the Corporation. In the circumstances, as rightly contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the impugned penalty cannot be imposed without conducting Departmental enquiry. Accordingly, the impugned orders are hereby set aside and the Writ Petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents to pass appropriate orders afresh following due process of law. No costs. _____________ G. ROHINI, J. Dt. 27.01.2010 Ivd