Telangana HC questions political leaders’ role in welfare cheque distribution

The Telangana High Court questioned the involvement of MLAs and political leaders in distributing welfare scheme cheques, asking whether any law requires them to hand over public funds. The court also exempted GO 4 from its interim stay.

By Our Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Monday questioned the necessity of political leaders’ involvement in the distribution of welfare scheme cheques, asking whether any law or constitutional provision requires MLAs and public representatives to personally hand over public funds to beneficiaries.

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The Bench made these observations while hearing interlocutory applications (IAs) filed by MLAs seeking to be impleaded in the case and challenging the interim stay on the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes. Questioning the involvement of political representatives in the distribution of public funds, the Court asked why executive officials, who already handle beneficiary selection, application scrutiny and eligibility verification, were not considered sufficient for the distribution task.

It emphasised that there should be no political interference in the disbursement of public money, reiterating that every paisa spent from the public exchequer requires solid legal or statutory backing. Expressing deep dissatisfaction over the prolonged delay in paying compensation to farmers affected by land acquisition, Justice Shravan Kumar noted that displaced individuals had been waiting for eight months after surrendering their properties for public projects and development.

Describing these farmers as the “builders of the nation”, the Court remarked that compensating those who lost their homes and livelihoods must take priority.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) Imran Khan was directed to submit comprehensive details regarding the current status of pending land acquisition compensation payments across the State. The Court further observed that social welfare measures must align with actual needs, pointing to vulnerable groups, including the homeless, destitute women and children forced to beg at traffic intersections without basic identity documents, as core beneficiaries falling within the scope of State welfare.

In a partial modification of its earlier orders, the Court announced that Government Order (GO) 4, which provides financial assistance for the marriages of differently-abled girls, would be exempted from the interim stay. Issuing notices to the newly impleaded respondents, the High Court granted the respondents two weeks to submit complete details and counter-affidavits, adjourning the matter to the 7th of next month. Meanwhile, the government has filed an appeal before a division bench seeking to vacate the interim stay on the welfare schemes.