Panchayati Raj Tribunal Delay Raises Governance Concerns in Telangana

Panchayati Raj Tribunal | Hyderabad, Jan. 27: The Panchayati Raj Tribunal, set up with the aim of resolving disputes in local bodies, remains non functional as the government has not constituted it for over three years.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

Due to the absence of the tribunal, no related proceedings have taken place during this period.

Officials say the need for the Panchayati Raj Tribunal has become urgent as new governing bodies have now been formed in gram panchayats.

Over the past two years, panchayats functioned without elected bodies. Therefore, tribunal related cases were limited.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

However, with new administrations in place, complaints and disputes linked to panchayat activities are expected to rise.

The Panchayati Raj Tribunal was last constituted on October 14, 2019. Bandaru Bhaskar served as chairman, while Gatik Ajay and Govardhan Reddy worked as members. After the tenure ended, the government did not form a new tribunal.

Political Delay Stalls Panchayati Raj Tribunal Formation

As per rules, the tribunal consists of a chairman and two members. One member must be a former elected representative from local bodies.

The tenure is three years. Even after the completion of the previous term and an additional three years, the new tribunal has not been notified, drawing criticism.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

Sources say the Congress government recently initiated steps to finalise the chairman and members. Officials prepared the related file.

However, final approval is pending due to political reasons. Lack of clarity on appointments and objections to some proposed names are said to be delaying the process.

Sarpanches and Congress leaders have urged the government to finalise consensus names and constitute the tribunal immediately.

They said timely appointments would have allowed more eligible candidates to get an opportunity, instead of keeping posts vacant.

The Tribunal plays a key role in addressing issues such as misuse of funds by sarpanches, suspension of sarpanches, refusal of signatures by deputy sarpanches, and other disputes.

However, the tribunal currently has no permanent office. In the past, it operated from Mission Bhagiratha Bhavan on a temporary basis.

Here To Join Us On WhatsApp

During the previous tribunal’s tenure, allegations surfaced about inadequate staff and facilities. In this context, local body representatives have demanded sanction of proper staff and establishment of a permanent office to ensure smooth functioning and public convenience.

Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe.  Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews

More Stories..