Conceding that the time lines of some of the pre-poll processes were condensed, the State government on Friday told the Telangana High Court that no rules relating to conducting polls to the urban local bodies (ULBs) were violated.
In a counter affidavit filed by Municipal Administration and Urban Development department Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar in the HC relating to municipal election petitions, the government said the time lines were to complete each pre-election activity as per the convenience and preparedness of the government.
It said there were no fixed time lines in any rules for organising any pre-poll work.
The entire activity of public consultation was to make the pre-election work a transparent process to ensure the polls were conducted in a free and fair manner. Asserting that it was geared to conduct and conclude the election process to ULBs, the government said only those whose claims were rejected were aggrieved by the decisions of the Municipal Commissioners during public consultation process and had approached the HC to stall the election process.
Electoral rolls
This was done even after final publication of divisions and electoral rolls were completed by the authorities concerned.
The division of wards, publication of photo electoral rolls and ward-wise SC,ST,BC and women voters lists were completed by the end of July.
The identification of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and women voters commenced on June 21 and the survey was completed by June 30 in all the municipalities.
Only the reservations have to be finalised so that the State Election Commission could issue the poll notification to municipalities, the government said in the affidavit.
Land for TRS
The Telangana HC on Friday issued notices to State government on allotment of land to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Party in 24 district headquarters for construction of its party offices.
A division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akhter gave the direction after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Medipalli Satyam. The Bench directed the government to file its counter within four weeks.
‘Re-conduct survey’
The Green Bench comprising Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy and Justice P. Naveen Rao directed the State government to re-conduct a door-to-door survey of the land in Toguta village of Siddipet district to ascertain various issues relating to rehabilitation and resettlement of people losing land due to Mallannasagar project. The direction was given after hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by persons who lost lands in the Mallannasagar project.
The matter was adjourned by two weeks.