Writ challenges 100% quota for STs in scheduled areas

Hyderabad: Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the registry to place before the CJ bench the writ filed by a non-tribal welfare society challenging the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, reserving 100% seats to STs in scheduled areas in the ensuing local body elections. She adjudicated the writ filed by society secretary Kondabathina Madhu of Ramnagar, Chunchupally mandal, Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that due to allocation of 100% seats to STs in the scheduled areas, even though there is no ST candidate available to contest the post of “sarpanch” in a particular gram panchayat in the scheduled area as a drawback, due to which the government is entrusting the work of sarpanches to special officers, instead of elected representatives.

He sought a direction to the government to permit a non-tribal to contest in such cases to ensure democratic governance at the grassroots level. The counsel urged the court to direct the government not to issue the election notification with regard to sarpanch posts in schedule areas reserving 100% to STs and stay the polls there.