Latest news with #PanchayatRajAct
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CM, ministers, MLAs to camp in Delhi from August 5 to 7 to press for assent to BC quota Bills
In view of the inordinate delay in the clearance of the Bills passed by the Legislature paving the way for implementation of 42% reservation for backward classes in education, employment and political fields, the State government has decided to request President Draupadi Murmu for speedy clearance of the two Bills, which were awaiting her assent. The State Cabinet, at its meeting here on Monday, decided that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders, would camp in New Delhi for three days — August 5, 6 and 7 — to meet the President and seek her cooperation in the passage of the Bills. Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar told the media on the decisions taken at the meeting of the State Cabinet here on Monday. The Cabinet held elaborate discussion on the modalities that should be adopted for ensuring the passage of the Bills and unanimously resolved to request the President for her consent to the Bills. The decision comes in the light of the deadline set by the Telangana High Court for conducting long overdue local body elections and the stoppage of Finance Commission grants to local bodies for want of elected bodies governing them. The Cabinet had also decided to press for clearance of the Ordinance seeking removal of the 50% cap on the reservations, a decision taken by the previous BRS government headed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao through an amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act in 2018.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Error-ridden draft voters' list published on July 23, alleges Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan
The draft voters' list published by the State Election Commission on July 23 contains numerous errors, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan alleged on Saturday, adding that the time limit for rectifying the errors and new enrollment should be increased to at least 30 days. Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Satheesan said the names of several voters who had exercised their franchise in the last local body elections were missing in the draft rolls. On the other hand, the names of voters who had died three or four years ago have been included in the list, he said. There are also instances where members of the same family have been divided among different wards. Some voters even have votes in three wards, he alleged. Mr. Satheesan further alleged that officials who were tasked with the collection of voter information had meddled with the list with the aid of the regional leaders of the CPI(M). In such a situation, it is impractical to insist that new enrollment and rectification of errors should be completed in 15 days, he said. The Commission should extend the time limit to at least 30 days, he said. Section 24 of the Panchayat Raj Act says that the voters' list should not be revised between the last date of filing nominations and the election day. Which means, there is nothing preventing enrollment up to the deadline for filing nominations, Mr. Satheesan said. The State Election Commission had published the draft electoral rolls on July 23 ahead of its revision for the 2025 local body elections in Kerala. The Commission has given time till August 7 for the addition and removal of names and correcting mistakes. Mr. Satheesan also reiterated the United Democratic Front (UDF)'s demand that the number of voters per polling booth should be reduced. The number of voters per booth should be revised from 1,300 to 1,100 in the panchayats and from 1,600 to 1,300 in municipalities, according to the UDF. If the commission failed to address this issue, the UDF will seek legal recourse, he said.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Uncertainty over ordinance on BC quota a worry for Congress leaders
HYDERABAD: The cadre and second-rung leaders of the ruling Congress are eagerly waiting for local body elections amid uncertainty over whether the ordinance, pending with the governor, will be promulgated or not. If the ordinance is issued, the amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, will come into force, empowering the state to hike BC reservations to 42 per cent from the present 23 per cent. Meanwhile, the leaders are also grappling with serious financial strain as they have to prevent their cadre from being poached by rival parties. The Telangana High Court has mandated that the elections to the local bodies — ZPTCs, MPTCs and panchayats — should be completed by September 30. The party's second-rung leaders are compelled to spend heavily to keep their cadre. Both cadre and leaders who are not contesting in the election expect handsome payments from those who are seeking election, which is causing a lot of tension. Fear of defections Meanwhile, the ruling Congress MLAs have been asked to monitor closely developments in their Assembly constituencies and check defections. Despite these challenges, the Congress leaders who are planning to contest in the local body elections believe that the situation at the ground level for the Congress is much better than what it was six months ago. The MLAs are hoping that the issuance of new ration cards, allotment of Indiramma houses, supply of fine rice under PDS, sanction of loans for women groups and payment of Rythu Bharosa are likely to sway voters in Congress' favour. On the other side, the leaders who are in opposition parties like Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Bharatiya Janata Party are also required to keep their cadre under their grip. Even as the opposition parties are guarding their leaders, the ruling party is trying to engineer defections. The Congress contestants are worried over the increasing strain on their finances and the possibility of the opposition parties spiriting away its leaders. They want the dates for the elections to be announced soon so that they can get it over with, as uncertainty is costing them dearly.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State cabinet meet postponed; new date fixed for July 28
Hyderabad: The Telangana state cabinet meeting, which was scheduled for Friday, was postponed due to the absence of several key ministers who were attending the Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The cabinet will now meet on July 28. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, who was also in Delhi along with the ministers, returned to Hyderabad on Friday afternoon. Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka and irrigation minister NUttam Kumar Reddy were among those present in the national capital. On Thursday, they made a powerpoint presentation to senior Congress leaders and MPs on the findings of the state's caste census. The cabinet meeting on Monday is expected to deliberate on key issues, including: Fixing of BC reservations in local bodies based on the independent expert group's analytical report of the caste survey, gig workers' bill, and an ordinance to remove the 50 per cent quota cap under the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which is currently pending with the governor. The state govt is working under a deadline set by the Telangana high court to finalise reservations for local body elections by the end of July. The court had directed the govt to conduct the elections by Sept 30. The cabinet is also expected to approve the over 300-page report submitted by the independent expert working group led by former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudarshan Reddy.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Revanth Reddy should make way for Ponnam Prabhakar or Mahesh Kumar Goud as CM: BJP president
Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao suggested that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy should quit and hand over the post to his Cabinet colleague Ponnam Prabhakar or PCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, both of them belonging to the Backward Classes (BCs) if he was really sincere about the BC welfare. In an informal interaction with the media at the State party office on Friday, Mr. Rao 'thanked' Mr. Reddy for making the suggestion of making former Governor Bandaru Dattatreya as the next Vice President and said the party will take a call on that and offered his own piece of advice to the CM. The BJP leader has accused Mr. Reddy of insulting the entire BC community with his comments that Prime Minister Modi belonged to a 'converted BC caste' and wanted to know what religion or caste his (CM) leader Rahul Gandhi belonged to. The Chief Minister should be given a 'Goebbels Prize' for all kinds of propaganda he was indulging in, he said and demanded the Congress first fulfil the promise of 42% quota for the BC in the local body polls by amending Section 285 of the Panchayat Raj Act to make it 'legally strong'. Mr. Rao said the Telangana government caste census cannot be a role model for the country when it had reduced the BCs numbers. It was unfair and outrageous to add 'all the Muslims' in the 10% quota out of the 42% BC quota when only a few castes like 'dudekulas', 'hajis' and 'pakirs' were included in the BC-B category earlier. The Congress government has made only two persons from among BC as Cabinet Ministers whereas the majority of Ministers in the Modi Cabinet belonged to BCs, he said. The BJP chief also dismissed about the internal fights in the party as a 'family' issue and said the Central leadership is seized of the issue. He would soon constitute a new State committee with 20 persons and 33% posts would be given to women. There is no pressure on him about the new party posts and wanted the aspirants to go to the people and fight on public issues.
