Cabinet to take a call on local body polls next week

Hyderabad: The state government will take a call next week on holding elections to the local bodies. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has convened a Cabinet meeting on October 16 to discuss the question of going ahead with the elections to local bodies without the enhanced 42 per cent BC quota, even while challenging the interim orders of the High Court on BC quota in the Supreme Court. Besides, issues concerning contentious irrigation projects, mainly the Pranahita Chevella, are likely to figure in the agenda.

The Chief Minister has sought the opinion of legal experts on holding polls to local bodies following the High Court orders permitting the state government to go for the elections, provided the erstwhile reservation system is implemented. The High Court clearly mentioned in its interim orders not to implement 42 per cent BC quota as it would tantamount to violating the 50 per cent ceiling.

“A decision on holding elections to local bodies will be taken in the cabinet meeting. State Panchayat Raj Department officials have been asked to prepare the details of the reserved wards in Gram Panchayats as well as MPTC and ZPTC wards. Twenty-three per cent of the wards would be reserved for BCs as per the existing reservation system in the state,” sources said.

The question of approaching the Supreme Court against the High Court’s interim orders on the GO providing 42 per cent BC quota would also be reviewed in the cabinet meeting.

The Chief Minister has already held meetings with the Congress’ state unit in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, advocate Abhishek Singhvi and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud about the ‘pros and cons’ of challenging in the apex court the High Court’s interim orders.

Legal experts have already briefed Revanth Reddy about the High Court’s intentions on stalling the enhanced BC quota through its interim orders, with the final judgment expected in November first week. The Cabinet meet will also discuss the state officials’ readiness to meet their Maharashtra counterparts on the construction of Tummidihetti barrage under the Pranahitha–Chevella project in October end. An official delegation is planning to meet their Maharashtra counterparts to finalise the height of the Tummidihetti to avoid submergence. The Chief Minister would meet Maharashtra Ministers in November and finalize the project. Apart from the Pranahita project, the Karnataka government’s decision to increase the height of the Almatti Dam and the AP government’s latest move on the Banakacharla project would be discussed for finalizing an action plan to protect the interests of Telangana state in the utilization and allocation of waters from Krishna and Godavari rivers.