Telangana HC Spikes Writ, State Says It Targets Collectors

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday dismissed a writ of quo warranto challenging the state government’s decision to reduce Backward Class (BC) reservations in the upcoming gram oanchayat elections from 24 to 17 per cent. The petition, filed by the Telangana BC Sankshema Sangam, questioned the validity of the orders issued by district collectors across 32 election-bound districts and alleged that the state had acted arbitrarily by revising the reservation quota just days before the release of the election notification on November 25.

A division bench comprising Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao expressed strong disapproval of the petitioners’ decision to invoke a writ of quo warranto against district collectors. The bench remarked that such a writ challenged the authority of an individual to hold public office and questioned whether the petitioners were seeking the removal of collectors from their posts.

The petitioners argued that the reduction of BC reservations was carried out in haste, in the middle of the night, and without adequate justification. They contended that the writ was necessitated by the state’s failure to file counter-affidavits in related matters concerning reservation policy.

Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy, appearing for the state, submitted that a quo warranto petition was not maintainable against district collectors, who were administrative officers appointed and functioning within the scope of law. He argued that precedents relating to elected representatives could not be applied to administrative officials.