“CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has appointed a former judge of the court, Justice P Devadass, as administrator of a trade union attached to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) in order to resolve the tussle between different groups within the union and hold fresh elections for the state and executive councils.
The order, in this regard, was passed recently by Justice R M T Teekaa Raman while disposing a batch of suits filed by K Sampath, Shajahan and M Ramachandran, who claimed to have been elected as general secretary, president and treasurer respectively, of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Workers Federation (TNEFW).
They have been fighting for control of the TNEFW, which was established in 1958 and has deposits in various financial institutions worth crores of rupees.
The judge ordered that the administrator would have an initial tenure of four months, he would be paid a remuneration of Rs 1 lakh per month and would run the administration of the union until completing organisational elections.
“Non-conducting of election even after expiry of term, even after several representations being made by the state executive council members, compels this court to appoint a retired judge of this court as administrator for the purpose of conducting election,” the judge said in the order.
He further directed the commissioner of the Greater Chennai Police to provide protection to the administrator for taking over the management of the union.
Moreover, since there were attempts by one of the office-bearers to divert funds to the tune of Rs 30 lakh from the union’s account to his personal account, the judge fixed the money drawing capacity to not exceed Rs 5 lakh in a single transaction.
Even after the tenure of the office-bearers of the union — S Moorthy, M Dhanasekar and Aruldoss — lapsed in March 2024, they were stated to have delayed holding the organisational polls. In the meantime, a vice president convened the general body meeting in May, where K Sampath, Shajahan and M Ramachandran were elected as general secretary, president and treasurer respectively.
They filed the suits seeking to restrain Moorthy, Dhanasekar and Aruldoss from interfering with the affairs of the union while the ousted office-bearers moved the court against the newly-elected office-bearers.”
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Aug/24/madras-hc-appoints-retired-judge-as-admin-of-tangedco-union-to-sort-internal-power-struggle#:~:text=seeking%20to%20restrain%20Moorthy%2C%20Dhanasekar%20and%20Aruldoss%20from%20interfering%20with%20the%20affairs%20of%20the%20union%20while%20the%20ousted%20office%2Dbearers%20moved%20the%20court%20against%20the%20newly%2Delected%20office%2Dbearers.
