HYDERABAD: Justice Nagesh Bheemakapa of the Telangana High Court has sought the response of the state and Union governments to a writ petition filed by BJP MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy challenging the validity of GO Ms No. 33 to form Indiramma Committees that will select beneficiaries for the Indiramma Housing scheme.
Posting the hearing to October 28, the judge issued notices to state and Union government officials, including the Secretary, R&B department; the Housing Corporation Limited MD, and the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
These officials were directed to explain the rationale behind the formation of Indiramma committees without consulting gram sabhas and ward committees for the distribution of Indiramma houses to the poor and needy in the state.
Maheshwar Reddy filed the writ petition challenging the validity of GO Ms 33, dated October 11, 2024. The GO allows establishing of Indiramma committees at both the gram panchayat and municipal ward levels to oversee the implementation of the “Indiramma Indlu” housing scheme without involving local decision-making bodies like gram sabhas and ward committees.
Counsel for the petitioner argued that the members of the Indiramma committees are nominated by government officials, such as mandal parishad development officers and municipal commissioners, in consultation with the district in-charge minister. This process, the petitioner contended, bypasses the gram sabhas, which should be responsible for making decisions on public welfare schemes, as mandated by the Constitution.
Counsel further asserted that the selection of beneficiaries for the housing scheme by these government-nominated committees could result in favoritism toward supporters of the ruling party, thereby undermining the true purpose of the initiative. The petitioner also claimed that this approach violates the “73rd Constitutional Amendment” and the “Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018”, both of which emphasise the importance of local governance in decision-making.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 28, 2024, and will consider the responses from the concerned officials at that time.