Several Legal, Regulatory Bodies in AP, Including APHRC, Without Heads

Kurnool: Various legal and regulatory bodies in Kurnool — including the Lokayukta, AP Human Rights Commission (APHRC) and AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) — are functioning without heads for several months. Likewise is the case of Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) not just in Kurnool district but across the state.

APSHRC, originally headquartered in Hyderabad, had shifted to Kurnool after the previous YSRC government designated the city as the judicial capital. In 2021, after a delay of two years, the government appointed the chairperson, a judicial member, and a non-judicial member. However, their terms ended in March 2024. Although the state government issued a notification for new appointments in December 2024, the selection process has not yet been completed.

The commission has remained ineffective in addressing human rights issues, whether of harassment, police excesses or other human rights violations.

Despite having no operational responsibilities, employees of the APHRC are continuing to draw salaries and reportedly enjoying a five-day workweek, even though no such direction has been issued by the government. This is drawing criticism from other government wings.

Interestingly, during the YSRC regime, TD senior leader Varla Ramaiah had publicly criticised the lack of adequate staff for the former APHRC chairperson. He had assured that the commission would be strengthened once TDP comes to power. But no steps appear to have been taken so far.

Likewise, the Lokayukta, which deals with public complaints related to corruption and misconduct in government bodies, has remained headless after the retirement of Justice P. Lakshmana Reddy on September 14, 2024. Since then, Upa Lokayukta P. Rajani has been handling the responsibilities in an interim capacity.

Though she comes from a legal background and is taking up cases, critics maintain that key institutions should not be run by in-charges for prolonged periods.

Similarly, the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission has been operating without a chairman since the term of Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy ended in the last quarter of 2024. A commission member is currently serving as the in-charge chairman, managing the operations of this crucial regulatory body.

An advocate, on the condition of anonymity, observed: “The reason is simple. Former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced Kurnool as the judicial capital. The coalition government is not willing to accept that decision and is diluting its spirit. Their initial plan had been to shift these offices to Amaravati. But due to resistance from locals, including minister T.G. Bharath, the decision has been postponed. These crucial offices are deliberately being kept headless,” the advocate charged.

However, Telugu Desam leaders maintain that despite efforts by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Education minister Lokesh, opposition-backed court cases are delaying the appointment process.

Significantly, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) across all districts, responsible for handling children’s issues, have seen no new appointments. The earlier committees, appointed in 2021, completed their three-year term in November 2024. Critics point out that the government has issued multiple notifications only to cancel them repeatedly, even after conducting interviews.