Telangana HC revives Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak after stay on single-judge order

A division bench of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday stayed a single-judge order that had halted the implementation of the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, was hearing an appeal filed by principal secretaries from six departments — Backward Classes, Scheduled Caste Development, Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Minorities Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, and Finance.

The appeal challenged the earlier order that had stalled the schemes, which were being implemented through seven Government Orders (GOs). The original writ petition was filed by advocate Vijaya Gopal, who argued that the schemes were being run purely through executive orders without constitutional validity or legislative backing, despite having a significant impact on the state's economy.

During the hearing, Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy argued that the schemes have been in operation since 2014 and that the petitioner was neither a beneficiary nor adversely affected by them. He contended that the petition was not maintainable on these grounds.

Vijaya Gopal, in response, maintained that the single-judge order was only an interim direction passed in an interlocutory application, and therefore could not be appealed. The Chief Justice, however, questioned whether the Comptroller and Auditor General had ever flagged the schemes' funding as constitutionally invalid in audit reports. The advocate replied that such scrutiny fell outside the CAG's domain.

The Advocate General also noted that the Supreme Court had previously appreciated state governments for implementing welfare schemes aimed at unmarried women from marginalised communities. After hearing both sides, the division bench stayed the single-judge order, allowing the schemes to proceed.