HYDERABAD: Expressing displeasure with the State government for failing to appoint the chairperson for the State Women’s Commission, a statutory body, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday gave it another opportunity to fill the post by this year-end.
A division bench of the High Court warned the government that if it does not do so by December 31, it will summon the Chief Secretary for an explanation, and adjourned the case to January 4.
Comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, the bench passed this order in a PIL filed by R Ramya Rao, a social activist who sought direction to the authorities concerned for the appointment of the chairperson to the commission. It appointed advocate Vasudha Nagaraj as amicus curiae to assist the court in the case.
Advocate General BS Prasad sought time to finalise the proceedings, saying the State is seriously contemplating the appointment of the chairperson. Not satisfied with his submission, the bench passed the above order.
Earlier too, it had pulled up the government for not filling posts of various statutory bodies. It had hoped that the government would appoint the chairperson to the State Women’s Commission by November 18.
Being a statutory body, the commission cannot be permitted to function without a chairperson. Its functioning is the need of the hour as it protects and promotes the interests of women. Statutory bodies cannot be made to function without a head and this is a matter of serious concern, the division bench had observed back then.
Despite constituting committees for selecting the heads of statutory bodies, the appointments are yet to be made, the bench had said while referring to similar pending cases which sought appointments to various statutory bodies in Telangana.