BSNL Security Staff Association vs The Chief General Manager, Bharat Sanchar, The General Manager, B.S.N.L. (Telecom), The Central Labour Commissioner and Govt. of India, Ministry of Defence

P. N. Ravindran, J.—The Petitioner is an association of ex-service men who are working as Security Guards in the various installations of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (hereinafter referred to as ''BSNL'' for short). They have filed this writ petition for a direction to the Respondents to engage only ex-service men sponsored by the security agencies recognised by the Director General of Re-Settlement for various types of work including the up-keeping work in the installations of BSNL at Alappuzha. A learned single Judge of this Court has in identical circumstances disposed of W.P. (C) No. 7631 of 2009 with the direction that the Petitioner therein should move the Director General of Re- settlement setting out their grievance. The said decision was upheld by a Division Bench of this Court in W.A. No. 785 of 2009. In such circumstances, I am of the opinion that the Petitioner herein should also bring its grievance to the notice of the Director General of Re-Settlement.

I, accordingly, dispose of the writ petition with a direction that in the event of the Petitioner submitting an appropriate representation before the Director General of Re-Settlement, the said authority shall consider the same with notice to the Petitioner and Respondents 1 and 2 herein and take an appropriate decision thereon expeditiously and in any event within six weeks from the date on which the Petitioner submit a representation along with a copy of this judgment before the Director General of Re-Settlement.