(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) "Essential service" means-
(i) any service connected with the affairs of the State in relation to the maintenance of water supply and distribution thereof;
(ii) any service connected with the affairs of the 1[Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation] and all other municipal councils, in relation to the maintenance of drainage, conservancy including scavenging, slaughter-houses, markets and all medical facilities provided by the said local authorities, and transport service appurtenant to any such service;
(iii) any service in the 2Telangana Medical and Public Health Subordinate Services, including the service consisting of last grade employees and drivers attached to the medical and public health institutions;
(iv) any service connected with the working of the Integrated Milk Project, Hyderabad and Vijayawada and other milk supply schemes in the districts;
(v) any service under the Telangana State Electricity Board constituted under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948; and such other service connected with the production, supply or distribution of electricity, as the Government may, by notification in the 2Telangana Gazette, declare to be an essential service for the purposes of this Act;
(vi) any other service connected with matter with respect to which the Legislature of the State has power to make laws and which the Government, being of opinion that strikes therein would prejudicially affect the maintenance of any public utility service, the public safety or the maintenance of supplies and services necessary for the life of the community or; would result in the infliction of grave hardship on the community may, by notification, in the 2Telangana Gazette, declare to be an essential service for the purposes of this Act;
(b) "Government" means the State Government;
(c) "strike" means the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any essential service acting in combination or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment, and includes—
(i) casual leave or other leave en masse in pursuance of a common understanding among the persons who avail themselves of such leave, or under the direction of any other person or any body of persons;
(ii) refusal to work overtime where such work is necessary for the maintenance of any essential service;
(iii) any other conduct which is likely to result in, or results in, cessation or substantial retardation of work, in any essential service.
(2) Every notification issued under sub-clauses (v) and (vi) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall, immediately after it is issued, be laid before each House of the State Legislature if it is in session and if it is not in session, in the session immediately following, for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiration of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the notification or in the annulment of the notification, the notification shall, from the date on which the modification or annulment is notified in the 2Telangana Gazette, have effect only in such modified form or shall stand annulled, as the case may be; so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that notification.
(a) "Essential service" means-
(i) any service connected with the affairs of the State in relation to the maintenance of water supply and distribution thereof;
(ii) any service connected with the affairs of the 1[Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation] and all other municipal councils, in relation to the maintenance of drainage, conservancy including scavenging, slaughter-houses, markets and all medical facilities provided by the said local authorities, and transport service appurtenant to any such service;
(iii) any service in the 2Telangana Medical and Public Health Subordinate Services, including the service consisting of last grade employees and drivers attached to the medical and public health institutions;
(iv) any service connected with the working of the Integrated Milk Project, Hyderabad and Vijayawada and other milk supply schemes in the districts;
(v) any service under the Telangana State Electricity Board constituted under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948; and such other service connected with the production, supply or distribution of electricity, as the Government may, by notification in the 2Telangana Gazette, declare to be an essential service for the purposes of this Act;
(vi) any other service connected with matter with respect to which the Legislature of the State has power to make laws and which the Government, being of opinion that strikes therein would prejudicially affect the maintenance of any public utility service, the public safety or the maintenance of supplies and services necessary for the life of the community or; would result in the infliction of grave hardship on the community may, by notification, in the 2Telangana Gazette, declare to be an essential service for the purposes of this Act;
(b) "Government" means the State Government;
(c) "strike" means the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any essential service acting in combination or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment, and includes—
(i) casual leave or other leave en masse in pursuance of a common understanding among the persons who avail themselves of such leave, or under the direction of any other person or any body of persons;
(ii) refusal to work overtime where such work is necessary for the maintenance of any essential service;
(iii) any other conduct which is likely to result in, or results in, cessation or substantial retardation of work, in any essential service.
(2) Every notification issued under sub-clauses (v) and (vi) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) shall, immediately after it is issued, be laid before each House of the State Legislature if it is in session and if it is not in session, in the session immediately following, for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiration of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the notification or in the annulment of the notification, the notification shall, from the date on which the modification or annulment is notified in the 2Telangana Gazette, have effect only in such modified form or shall stand annulled, as the case may be; so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that notification.
Source footnotes
1. Substituted by Act No. 13 of 2008.2. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.
आगे पढ़ें / Continue reading
Explore the next section or browse this act in the selected language.
Next · Section 3Power to prohibit strikes in certain employments. →All sections / सभी धाराएँThe Telangana Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1971. →
More sections of this act
Section 1 · Short title, extent and commencement.Section 3 · Power to prohibit strikes in certain employments.Section 4 · Penalty for illegal strikes.Section 5 · Penalty for instigation etc.Section 6 · Penalty for giving financial aid to illegal strikes.Section 7 · Power to arrest without warrant.Section 8 · Act to override other laws.Section 9 · Repeal of Andhra Pradesh Ordinance 1 of 1971.India Code, Government of India. Text fetched 15 Oct 2026. Check the linked official text and subsequent notifications when applying a provision.