Telangana High Court paves way for polls to urban local bodies
Stay on orders issued on notifications in 67 municipalities lifted.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday cleared the way for the government to hold elections to urban local bodies by vacating the stay orders issued in July on election notifications in 67 municipalities.
Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy on Friday passed a consensus order after the petitioners in the batch of 74 petitions and the state government agreed with his proposal to break the impasse.
As proposed earlier, Justice Rajasheker Reddy gave seven days to the public to file objections regarding the errors in the pre-poll process.
Another seven days were given to the respective municipal commissioners to act on the objections in accordance with the law.
On the 15th day, the municipal commissioners should submit a report to the director of municipal administration after taking action on the objections filed by the petitioners. The director should send a report to the government to issue notification for holding civil polls, the judge said.
The competent authority will initiate action to issue the final notification in accordance with the law.
Justice Rajasheker Reddy directed that the municipal comissioners must act in a proactive manner in receiving objections from the public and try to address them in a such manner that the petitioners are satisfied.
He warned that the officials that if the court found any inaccuracy or errors in resolving the objections, they would face serious action.
As he did not find a difference of opinion between the state government and the petitioners with regard to setting aside the final notification issued by the municipal administration department on July 7, the judge set them aside. The final notifications had been issued confirming the delimitation of wards.
Justice Rajasheker Reddy said that officials should strictly adhere to the Telangana Municipalities Act rules while considering objections, failing which there was every possibility that the petitioner would approach the court again.
The court specifically cautioned the officials to give a written explanation to the petitioners or applicants if their objections were not considered.