HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has extended the stay on conducting elections to the executive committee of TS Medical Council as the state government failed to explain the rationale behind dropping down the number of elected representatives from 13 to five, but not reducing the number of nominated seats from six.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy was dealing with a petition filed by DrB. Arundati and others, who challenged the GO issued reducing the elected representatives in the council.
On April 27, while issuing stay orders on ensuing elections, the court asked the government how it would defend the continuation of the same number of seats in the nominated quota. At that time, the government submitted that it had reduced the elected quota because the seats were decided in the United Andhra Pradesh Medical Council, which had approximately 97,000 registered doctors. Now, in Telangana State Medical Council, there were only around 17,000 doctors registered so far. On that ground, it had a reason to reduce the members in the elected quota, the government explained.
But the government failed in not reducing the number of representatives in the nominated quota as per the ratio. As per the ratio, there should be only two representatives under nominated quota, when the elected quota is reduced to five members.
The court had already expressed apprehensions that the government wanted to interfere in the affairs of the professional body, by appointing six nominated representatives of its choice, who automatically dominate the council.
On fresh hearing, the court did not find valid ground on the government's contentions in keeping the nominated representatives to six. The bench cautioned it would direct to decrease the nominated members if the government did not reduce it proportionally. Giving a last chance to the state to do so, the case was adjourned to August 5. Till then, stay on elections would be continued, the court said.
