Hyderabad: Justice M Sudheer Kumar of the Telangana High Court has expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in appointing a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Telangana Waqf Board.
The government has been given until October 11 to provide clarification on the matter.
During a hearing of a writ petition filed by a concerned citizen, Justice M Sudheer Kumar expressed surprise that, despite prior orders for a permanent CEO, temporary arrangements had been made by the government in the past.
The petitioner challenged a Government Order (GO) issued in January 2003 regarding the appointment of the permanent CEO. The petitioner sought to have the GO declared null and void, however, it remains untouched as it violates Section 23 of the Waqf Act, 1995.
The counsel representing the Waqf Board requested four weeks to file a counter affidavit, but Justice Sudhir Kumar noted that he had already issued orders on the matter and deemed a counter affidavit unnecessary.
Instead, the court called on the government to explain the reasons behind the delay in appointing a permanent official.
The social welfare department’s counsel stated that officials were not willing to serve in the Waqf Board, but the court did not accept this explanation, stating that it could potentially be considered contempt of court.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing on October 11, and the court has directed the government to take steps for the appointment of a permanent CEO by then.
