Remove party colours from govt buildings: Andhra Pradesh High Court to YS Jaganmohan Reddy

In a major setback for Jaganmohan Reddy ahead of the Panchayat polls to be held later this month in the state, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has disapproved of YSRCP party colours on the Panchayat buildings and directed the government to immediately erase the same.

Ever since Jagan assumed power last year, government buildings, especially the Panchayat offices, are painted in YSRCP colours of blue, white and green. In one case, YSRCP flag colours were painted over the tricolour on the Grama Sachivalayam (Village Secretariat) building of one village in Anantapuram district, drawing severe criticism for Jagan.

On Tuesday, the high court has quashed the August 2019 orders of the principal secretary, Panchayati Raj department approving the YSRCP colours for the gram panchayat buildings across the state.

While restraining the department from painting the government buildings/Panchayat buildings similar to party colours "by use of public money," the HC directed the principal secretary to order to remove the colours painted on the buildings within 10 days from Tuesday, or at least before the Panchayat polls.

Elections to the panchayats are to be held on 27 and 29 March.

The HC order, a copy of which is with DH, has asked AP chief secretary to ensure the compliance of the directions and submit a report within two weeks to the court. It also directed the CS to formulate guidelines to specify suitable colour combination for painting the government properties "not similar to the colours of the flags and office of political parties."

The HC has directed the State Election Commission to hold free and fair election of the local bodies, "and to take appropriate steps, in the State without allowing to adopt the evil practices, by any of the party."

The TDP and its chief Chandrababu Naidu are alleging large scale transgressions on the part of the government in holding local body polls.

“The HC order underlines the appalling rule in the state. Even public toilets are not spared of the YSRCP colours. Rs 1500 crore has been spent to paint the government buildings and now another Rs 1500 crore would have to be spent to paint other colours. Who will pay this Rs 3000 crore?” Naidu questioned.

The HC order is based on a petition filed by Muppa Venkateswara Rao of Pallapadu village in Guntur District, who alleged the public money as mis-utilised by the ruling party, with intent to have cheap election publicity.