The YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy seems to be firm on continuing with painting of party colours on gram panchayat buildings, come what may.
It wants to explore all legal options to see that the colours are retained, since it would cost huge money for the government to repaint the buildings again.
On Thursday, the Jagan government moved the Supreme Court challenging the state high court’s order last week quashing the government order (GO Ms No. 623) on painting of colours to the gram panchayat offices.
The high court wondered why the government had issued the GO on painting the government buildings despite the earlier orders and sought to know why a contempt court should not be filed against the government.
Seeking an explanation from the panchayat raj secretary and chief secretary in this regard, the court asked the Registrar of High Court to start the procedure for a contempt case against the government by May 28, if the government doesn’t take any decision in this regard.
Both chief secretary Neelam Sawhney and panchayat raj secretary Girija Shankar attended the high court to give their explanation to the contempt notice.
They submitted detailed affidavits and informed the court that the government had filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. As a result, the high court deferred the contempt petition to Friday.
Earlier, the high court had raised objections to the painting of government buildings with the YSRC party colours and said it should not be done.
In an attempt to follow the HC orders, the government ordered that a terracotta colour be added to the border of the buildings, so that it should not appear like a YSRC colour.
This was once again challenged in the high court, stating that the government had not removed the party colours, but only added another colour to it.