Kaleshwaram project row: Inquiry commission summons KCR, Harish Rao and Etala
After Congress came to power, the government appointed the PC Ghose judicial commission to investigate allegations of large-scale irregularities in the construction of the previous BRS government's Rs 1 lakh crore Kaleshwaram irrigation project.
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Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telangana cabinet expansion: A calculated push for social justice and electoral strategy
1 2 3 Hyderabad: In a move loaded with political messaging, the Congress govt in Telangana expanded its cabinet on Sunday by inducting only Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Class (BC) legislators. The decision, party leaders said, was aimed at reinforcing the govt's commitment to social justice and marginalised communities. It also aligns with the party's recent legislative efforts, including two significant bills proposing 42% reservation for BCs in education, employment, and elected bodies, and another bill enabling sub-categorisation within SCs — both of which signal the Congress's intent to cater to historically underrepresented groups. Local body polls' influence Political analysts view the timing and composition of the expansion as strategically driven by the upcoming local body elections, particularly in gram panchayats, zilla parishads, and municipalities. Keen to consolidate its support among SCs and BCs—demographically crucial segments in rural areas—the Congress high command appears to have consciously prioritised these communities in the first round of expansion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Of the six vacant cabinet berths, only three were filled, leaving room for OCs (other castes) and minority candidates in the next round. Despite growing demands for representation from Greater Hyderabad, none from the capital or Rangareddy districts were considered—reportedly due to caste balancing priorities outweighing regional representation for now. Managing caste optics Initially, the Congress leadership considered filling four of the six vacancies. However, intense lobbying, particularly from Reddy MLAs—including P Sudarshan Reddy, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Rammohan Reddy—compelled the party to defer accommodating other communities to avoid internal dissent. With four ministers, including CM Revanth Reddy, already from the Reddy community, any further inclusion risked upsetting the caste equilibrium within the cabinet. The current cabinet is carefully calibrated to reflect Telangana's diverse social fabric. It includes ministers from major communities: Velama (Jupally Krishna Rao), Kamma (Tummala Nageswara Rao), Brahmin (D Sridhar Babu), ST (Seethakka), in addition to the new SC and BC inductees. Replacing an existing minister from any of these communities to include another would risk triggering factionalism—something the party is keen to avoid at this juncture. Strategic choices The Congress also faced mounting pressure from various sub-caste groups within the SC and BC communities. Recently, five Congress MLAs from the Madiga community met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, and CM Revanth Reddy, urging that at least one among them be included. While G Vivek Venkatswamy's inclusion (from the Mala SC sub-group) was already decided, the leadership responded by inducting Adluri Laxman Kumar, a Madiga leader, to maintain sub-caste balance. Similarly, Vakiti Srihari's induction addressed demands from the Mudiraj community, the numerically strongest BC group in the state. He is the only Congress MLA from this group and had reportedly received assurances from the CM during election season. In the Scheduled Tribe segment, the Lambada and Gutti Koya tribes had staked claims. Seethakka, a Gutti Koya tribal, remains the lone ST minister. Among the contenders, MLAs Balu Naik and Ramachandra Naik were in serious consideration. Ultimately, the party chose to elevate Ramachandra Naik to the post of deputy speaker, which carries cabinet rank, as a compromise. The cabinet expansion also made clear two unstated but evident policy decisions. First, the Congress refrained from including any MLCs, despite intense lobbying from aspirants like Amer Ali Khan, Addanki Dayakar, and Vijayashanti. The leadership appears intent on restricting ministerial berths to elected MLAs—at least for now. Second, the absence of a Muslim minister was notable but unsurprising. With no Muslim MLA currently in the Congress legislature party, the leadership opted not to induct any minority representative via the legislative council. That decision, however, may be revisited in the next phase of expansion. A balancing act In essence, the Congress's cabinet expansion is both a political signal and a strategic calculation—appealing to core voter bases ahead of rural local body polls while containing internal ambitions within the party. By inducting only SC and BC leaders in this round, the party has underscored its social justice plank while buying time to carefully navigate competing claims from other communities in the next phase. The balancing act is far from over, but Sunday's expansion has set the tone for how the Congress intends to manage governance and internal coalition-building in Telangana.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
HC orders restoration ofpower at SP MP's house
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has directed to restore the electricity connection at the residence of Samajwadi Party MP of Sambhal Zia Ur Rehman Barq which was disconnected in Dec 2024. Passing above directions to Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, the court also stayed the final assessment order imposing on him electricity charges of Rs. 1.91 crores for a period of 4,138 days upon the allegation of unauthorised use of electricity. Hearing a writ petition filed by Zia Ur Rehman, a division bench, comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Sandeep Jain fixed July 2 for the next hearing of the case. Barq had moved the HC against the assessment order on the ground that the same was passed entirely without jurisdiction as it imposed an assessment for over 12 years, when Section 126(5) of the Electricity Act only allowed imposition of charges for a maximum of 12 months in cases where the period of unauthorized usage was non-determinable. It was also contended that the final assessment order also demanded payment of electricity duty and compounding charges, which the authority had no jurisdiction to impose. Apart from above, it was also argued that by breaching the statutory period of assessment, an arbitrary demand of Rs 1.91 crore had been raised and that the petitioner cannot be made to deposit 50% of such illegal demand to maintain an appeal. Fixing July, 2, 2025, for next hearing, the court in its order dated June 4 stayed the final assessment subject to the petitioner depositing Rs 6 lakh within two weeks. It also directed the restoration of the electricity connection of the petitioner, subject to the timely payment of future bills. As per the statement of executive engineer, UPPCL in Sambhal, two meters at Barq's residence were found showing zero readings for the last six months and the units consumed did not exceed 100 in any of the remaining months last year. However, during the inspection, it was allegedly found that electricity consumption in his house exceeded 16 kilowatts daily, despite the sanctioned connection being only 4 kilowatts.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Revanth inducts 3 ministers, Cong sticks to social justice
1 2 3 4 5 6 Hyderabad: Bringing an end to prolonged political suspense, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday expanded his cabinet for the first time since assuming office in Dec 2023. Three new ministers – G Vivek Venkatswamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari – were inducted, reflecting the Congress party 's continued focus on caste and regional balance, as well as its internal political calculations. The swearing-in ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, where governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath of office. The portfolios are yet to be announced. In a parallel move, the Congress has also decided to nominate Dornakal MLA J Ramachandra Naik as deputy speaker of the legislative assembly. The position has remained vacant for over a year-and-a-half, and the official notification is expected to be issued in the coming week. Though the cabinet can have up to 18 ministers, Revanth has chosen to fill only three of the six vacant berths at this time. The decision to keep three positions open suggests that the party is leaving room for future manoeuvring – especially in light of continuing demands from various quarters within the Congress. The caste configuration of the new ministers appears carefully calibrated: Vivek Venkatswamy belongs to the SC Mala community, Laxman Kumar to the SC Madiga group, and Srihari to the BC Mudiraj community. Ramachandra Naik represents the Scheduled Tribes. This move raises the total number of SCs in the 15-member cabinet to four, along with four Reddys, three BCs, one Kamma, one Brahmin, one Velama, and one ST – leaving no representation from minorities or the legislative council for now. Chennur MLA Vivek Venkatswamy, a former MP from Peddapalli (2009–2014), is serving his first term as an MLA. Laxman Kumar, a seasoned Congress hand from Dharmapuri, is also a first-time legislator and currently serves as the govt chief whip. Srihari, a former Youth Congress leader, was elected for the first time from Makthal constituency in the 2023 assembly polls. Talks of cabinet expansion had intensified since Saturday, though the govt and the party maintained silence until Sunday morning. It was only a few hours before the swearing-in that the chief minister took to X to officially announce the names of the new ministers and the deputy speaker nominee. Party insiders suggest that immense lobbying and internal pressures delayed the expansion for months. At one stage, it was expected that four of the six vacancies would be filled, with at least one seat earmarked for a member from the minority or OC (other castes) communities. Names doing the rounds included former minister and Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Mancherial MLA K Prem Sagar Rao – all from OC backgrounds – besides MLC Amer Ali Khan and govt advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir from the minorities. However, in the final call, none from the OC or minority communities were included – a decision that has drawn attention and is likely to be addressed in a subsequent round of expansion, sources said. Notably, no member from the legislative council has found a place in the cabinet. MLCs like Vijayashanti, Addanki Dayakar, and Amer Ali had lobbied hard for ministerial berths but were left out, with the leadership opting to restrict the cabinet choices to MLAs alone. The latest expansion reflects the Congress' attempt to maintain a delicate caste and political balance while keeping the door open for future negotiations and adjustments, a senior analyst said.
