HYDERABAD: A bench of Justice Sujoy Pal and Justice K Sharath of the Telangana High Court on Friday declined to issue interim orders staying the formation of Indiramma committees. The panels are tasked with selecting beneficiaries for the state government’s Indiramma Housing Scheme.
The scheme aims to provide housing for the homeless by constructing 4,50,000 units in its first phase and offering financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to eligible beneficiaries. The Housing department issued GO 33 on October 11, 2024, establishing Indiramma committees at the gram panchayat and municipal ward levels to oversee the selection of beneficiaries.
These committees, chaired by local sarpanches, special officers, or municipal councillors, will include representatives from self-help groups and individuals from various communities, ensuring diverse representation.
The formation of these committees was challenged by A Nitish Kumar of Kothapalli, Velpur, Nizamabad district who argued that the GO did not specify qualifications for committee members. He claimed that this would allow political activists or unqualified individuals to be appointed. The single judge hearing the case dismissed the plea, stating that the government has discretion in policy implementation and judicial review was limited under Article 226 unless fundamental rights were violated.