Telangana HC seeks state’s response over 2-year delay in appointing finance commission board

Hyderabad: On Thursday, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji of the Telangana High Court issued notices to the chief secretary to the Government of Telangana and the special chief secretary to the state’s Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department directing them to give reasons for not appointing the chairman and members to the state finance commission. The court has ordered the state’s reply by July 20, 2023.

Satyam Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, M Padmanabha Reddy, general secretary, Forum for Good Governance (NGO), Saifabad, Hyderabad, informed the Court that the posts have been lying vacant for the past two years.

The state had published a notification, to constitute the State Finance Commission for the State of Telangana, in the Telangana Gazette on March 16, 2015, and a GO was issued on the same date.

Due to the non-appointment of the chairman and members to the State Finance Commission, the Urban Local Bodies and the Gram Panchayats are lacking budget and the developmental works have come to a standstill, the counsel said.

The first State Finance Commission of the State of Telangana, after a detailed review of the state budget and the need for Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) gave a report to the state government, which was not acted upon.

The Division Bench was hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO, Forum for Good Governance, represented by its secretary Padmanabha Reddy, sought a direction to the State Government to appoint the chairman and members to the State Finance Commission as required under the Article 243-I of the Constitution of India. The case was adjourned to July 20.