Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has directed the TS government and the state DGP to explain why elections to the Telangana Police Officers Association have been delayed.
Dealing with a petition by former general secretary of the association G.S. Raju challenging a circular issued by the DGP on November 22, 2016 appointing an ad hoc committee to the association, the court asked the respondents to file affidavits on December 14 explaining why they have been continuing with the ad hoc committee without holding elections.
S.R. Sanku, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that the petitioner submitted a representation to the DGP in January, 2016 seeking to hold elections to the association.
Earlier, the petitioner had moved the High Court when there was no response from the DGP. At that time, the government had told the court that it will take a decision within four weeks. However, the DGP issued the circular appointing the ad hoc committee, contrary to the government’s statement.
Minorities panel told to save files
The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Secretary of the Minorities Commission for AP and TS to take steps to store and protect all records in possession of the Commission.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was disposing of a petition moved by the commission, represented by its chairman Abid Rasool Khan, seeking to declare as illegal the failure of the governments of AP and TS to honour salaries and other bills of the commission.
The petitioner urged the court to direct both the governments to honour the salaries and other bills of the commission from May, 2016 onwards till separate commissions are constituted for both the states in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
TS advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy told the court that the three-year term of the chairman and members of the commission expired in May, 2016. He said that after expiry of the term of the existing members, the state government appointed a member-secretary to take charge of the records and also to look after affairs of the commission.
The A-G told the court that in view of the expiry of the term, Mr Khan has no right to move the plea on behalf of the commission. While considering the statement of the A-G , the bench disposed of the petition by granting liberty to the petitioner to move the petition in his individual capacity.
