Telangana election bills linked to the 2023 Assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha elections remain unpaid, prompting the state Deputy Collectors’ Association to seek immediate clearance and additional funds from Chief Electoral Officer Sudarshan Reddy.
Association state president V Lachi Reddy and other office-bearers met the CEO on Thursday and submitted a representation covering pending and additional expenses incurred by Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers during the two elections. The association said the expenditure in several constituencies exceeded the budgets originally allocated for election management.
According to the representation, funds provided under different expenditure heads were insufficient to meet the expenses incurred during the elections. In several cases, officials reportedly arranged money through personal borrowings to ensure that election-related requirements were met. Reimbursement of the corresponding bills, however, has not yet been completed.
The association said the delay in settling the accounts had created pressure on former Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers. It claimed that some lenders had approached courts to recover their dues, while others were visiting the offices and residences of the officials involved. The association said these developments were causing hardship and affecting the dignity and professional reputation of the officers.
The representation also sought approval for additional budgetary support for election-management expenses. The association said proposals requesting extra sanctions had already been submitted by the concerned authorities but remained pending at different administrative levels.
The matter specifically includes proposals related to excess expenditure in the Nampally Assembly constituency and the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency. The association asked the Chief Electoral Officer to examine these proposals without delay and sanction the additional funds required to settle the bills.
The representation places the issue within the administrative mechanics of election management, where Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers are responsible for coordinating expenditure across constituencies. The association’s request is for both the release of pending payments and a formal approval of the additional funds needed to cover spending beyond the original allocations.
The association has urged the Chief Electoral Officer to take action at the earliest. The source report did not specify the total amount outstanding, the number of officials affected or a deadline for the release of the pending payments.
