Cabinet defers decision on local body elections

The state government will take a decision on the local body elections after the hearing on the issue in the Telangana High Court on November 3. The Cabinet which met here under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took a decision to that effect on Thursday. The Cabinet will meet again on November 7.

This was announced by Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy in a press conference here on Thursday after the Cabinet meeting. The Minister said that a detailed discussion was held in the meeting on the local body elections. As per the High Court’s directions, the state government appealed in the Supreme Court and the apex court had referred it to the High Court. The case is going to come before the High Court on November 3. After the hearing in the High Court, the government will take a decision on the local body elections. This issue will be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting scheduled for November 7, informed the Minister.

Besides local body polls, the Cabinet also decided to complete the SLBC tunnel works without any further expenditure and with the same agency which has been executing the works, by the end of the year 2026 or in the beginning of 2027. The Minister said that this was the biggest tunnel in the world. He said that the project was taken up by the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government, and it was a 44 km long tunnel initiated as a part of the Jala Yagnam project.

“The Congress government completed works to the tune of 32 kms. However, the BRS government which lacked commitment to solve the problems of the people affected with fluoride, took up works to the tune of 2.5 km and washed off its hands. The agency will be using the latest technology and completing the tunnel without any expenditure by the government,” said Srinivasa Reddy.

The Cabinet has given approval to remove the two-child norm for candidates in the local body election. It decided to send an ordinance with amendment to Telangana Panchayat Raj Act to the Governor as the Assembly was not functioning. The Minister also said that the government has decided to complete all the four government super specialty hospitals in LB Nagar, Sanathnagar, Alwal and Warangal on war footing.