Power distribution companies in Telangana do not want to recruit women as field staff because they believe women would find it difficult to climb up electricity poles.
The argument didn't go down well with Judges of the High Court of Telangana after 2 women challenged the decision to keep them out only based on their gender. A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan & Justice B Vijaysen Reddy wondered how women could be stopped from becoming ‘linewomen’ when even the armed forces were opening their doors to them.
The Court directed officials to conduct a pole climbing test for the women — V Bharathi from Mahabubabad and B Shirisha from Siddipet — within 2 weeks.
Interestingly, the power utilities had initially offered the job to women & even offered 33 per cent reservation to them. They later reversed the decision.
Representing the women, Senior Advocate S Satyam Reddy told the court that the company notified 1,500 posts in 2018 & 2,500 posts in 2019. In 2018, they offered 33% reservation to women & in 2019 they discarded the reservation. For various reasons, they didn't take one woman onboard. Worse, they are now not allowing women to compete in the open category.
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