Telangana HC notices to govt for not making appointments to SC, ST Commission

HYDERABAD: A bench of the High comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji on Tuesday issued notices to the State government seeking its response to a PIL on non-appointment of the chairperson and members to the Telangana Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission.

The bench ordered the notices on a PIL to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, Scheduled Castes Development department, and the Commission, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and adjourned the hearing till April 13.

The Chief Justice bench stated in its notices that the pendency of this PIL in the High Court shall not prevent the State government from filling the vacancies on the SC and ST Commission in conformity with the legislation.

The bench was hearing the PIL filed by S Ganesh Rao and J Shankar of Secunderabad, who were dissatisfied with the State government’s failure to fill the vacancies on the SC and ST Commission.

Counsel for the petitioners informed the court that the Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes focuses on the welfare and development of SCs and STs in Telangana, with the goal of promoting education advancement, economic development, programme implementation, and encouraging social integration of the communities. 

As the chairperson and members of the SCs and STs Commission have not been appointed, various matters pending before it as they can only be looked into by the panel and the people are unable to voice their problems, the petitioner said. The Commission has been inactive since February 20, 2021.