HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday ordered the State Government to hold elections to the 3.5 lakh-member Cooperative Electric Supply Society Limited (CESS), Sircilla. After the tenure of the society’s previous body expired on February 19, 2021, the organisation has been operating with an ad hoc committee.
Following the instructions of the Division Bench, which comprised Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy, Additional Advocate General Telangana J Ramchander Rao gave the court the assurance that he will create a polling timetable for the community by August 22, 2022.
The Telangana government amended the Act of 1964 by GO Rt. No. 151, dated April 18, 2022, but its implementation was halted on June 15, 2022, by the High Court. This amendment gives the Telangana government the power to name someone to lead the managing committee of the society for an indefinite period of time, even for a period longer than three years. As this was a flagrant violation of the rules in effect, the High Court did not approve of the Telangana government’s decision.
K Vivek Reddy, senior counsel for the petitioner A Kanakaiah, a resident of Vilasagar village in Rajanna Sircilla district and also a CESS member, told the court that the Telangana government has been interfering with the Society’s operations without conducting elections. The next hearing has been adjourned to August 22, 2022.