District Collector, executive engineer cannot speak for the State, rules Telangana HC

HYDERABAD: A District Collector or executive engineer cannot speak for the State of Telangana, ruled a bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji. The bench said that the State must file appeals, particularly writ appeals, and not district-level officers at their discretion.

The bench was hearing a writ appeal submitted by the Panchayat Raj executive engineer, Miryalaguda, and the District Collector, Nalgonda. Stating that the court would like to have the A-G’s assistance by the next date of hearing on March 6, the bench ordered a copy of the ruling be given to the office of the Advocate General.

Challa Anji Reddy, sarpanch of Veerlapalem in Dameracherla mandal of Nalgonda district had filed the writ petition against the delay in the completion of development works authorised on December 21, 2021, in the village. The reason cited for the delay was clarification of the purpose for which additional funds under the CSR Policy were authorised in the year 2022 by Chief Engineer (civil thermal) TSGENCO.

Counsel for Anji Reddy said that the government intended to set up a thermal plant at Yadadri and sought land, which the gram panchayat allocated to the TSGENCO in 2015. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), TSGENCO allocated certain funds in 2020 based on the representation filed by Anji Reddy and endorsed by the minister.

Following that, TS GENCO allotted `4.21 crore, for which the district Collector gave administrative approval for 77 works, including CC roads, drainage, a health centre, a maternity hospital, a library, and the paving of internal roads in Veerlapalem gram panchayat. The first instalment of the funds were released to the District Collector, Nalgonda. However, the Collector stopped work on the projects.

Following this, a single judge of the court directed counsel appearing for TSGENCO to present the processes of sanctioning additional CSR funds for the Veerlapalem and Thallaveerappagudem villages. The single judge also instructed the district Collector to begin the development works authorised in the sanction letter in Veerlapalem.

Following this, writ appeals were filed before a division bench by the executive engineer of the Panchayat Raj department in Miryalaguda and the District Collector of Nalgonda challenging the decisions of a single judge.