Telangana Lift Act moves closer as High Court directs Chief Secretary to monitor progress

Hyderabad: The Telangana Lift Act moved a step closer to becoming law after the Telangana High Court directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to personally monitor the proposed legislation and submit a fresh status report within two weeks. The court issued the direction after noting that the government had failed to provide a definite timeline for completing the process.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Mohiuddin heard the Public Interest Litigation seeking a comprehensive law to regulate lifts and escalators across Telangana.

The Chief Secretary informed the court through a counter affidavit that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy approved the draft Telangana Lift Act on June 25. The government forwarded the draft to the Law Department on June 27 for legal vetting. After the vetting process, the government will place the Bill before the Council of Ministers for approval before introducing it in the State Legislature.

The Bench acknowledged the progress made after its earlier directions. However, it observed that the affidavit did not specify when the government would complete the process. The judges stressed that public safety could not remain uncertain indefinitely and ordered the Chief Secretary to oversee the proposal personally.

Telangana Lift Act reaches final stage of approval

During the hearing, the Government Pleader sought four weeks to submit the next status report. However, the High Court rejected the request. Instead, it fixed July 15, 2026, for the next hearing and directed the government to place the latest developments before the court by then.

The proposed legislation is based on a detailed draft prepared by Advocate Barkat Ali Khan, who also filed and has been pursuing the Public Interest Litigation. The draft aims to create a comprehensive legal framework for the installation, operation, inspection, maintenance, certification and safety of lifts and escalators across Telangana.

Throughout the proceedings, Advocate Khan placed model laws from other States, comparative legal material and detailed submissions before the court to support the early enactment of the legislation.

Speaking after the hearing, Barkat Ali Khan said 14 States, including Andhra Pradesh, had already enacted dedicated lift laws. He expressed confidence that Telangana would soon adopt the Telangana Lift Act, strengthening public safety and establishing a modern regulatory framework for lifts and escalators across the State.