How can an incomplete board function? HC asks Secunderabad Cantonment Board

HYDERABAD: Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili of the Telangana high court on Monday directed the central government and Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) to clarify doubts and apprehensions of the people on the functioning of an incomplete board and the validity of its decisions.
The judge was hearing a petition filed by G Vittal Reddy, ex-member of the SCB, who said the authorities were allowing the board to commence functioning without nominating a local representative from the civil society as a member.
“Apart from an army commander, the CEO of the board, Centre should nominate a local representative from civil society. Without this location representative, we cannot presume that the board has the quorum to meet and decide issues,” petitioner’s counsel Daraboina Subrahmanyam said.
“We gave a representation to the CEO of the board to declare the meeting of the board held on April 17 as invalid but we did not get any response...The two-member board was meeting and taking independent decisions without any public representatives. They even stopped water supply to the local area,” the counsel contended.
Refuting the allegations, SCB standing counsel KR Koteswara Rao said that the petitioner has no locus standi and is not an aggrieved party. “A valid board has been constituted. CEO and members were nominated. As far as local member is concerned, Centre will nominate such members to all cantonment boards and would soon notify the same,” he said.
“GoI has to nominate one member as per 13 (2) C of the Act. They will issue a separate notification after taking nominated members for all the boards.13(3). Centre shall notify the nomination. In a three-member board, two members form quorum and hence can meet and transact business. We have not stopped the water supply to anyone,” the SCB’s standing counsel said.
The judge directed the authorities to take a decision on the representation submitted by the petitioner and give clarity on the issues raised by him within three weeks.
The petitioner, an ex-SCB member said that no representative from the civil society had been appointed to the board which had been holding meetings and taking decisions. The SCB’s counsel said that two members form quorum and can hence meet and tranact business