The Telangana High Court has issued a ruling that has directed several senior IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers to report to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as designated, overturning their earlier requests to remain in the states they are currently stationed at.
Among the officers affected are notable figures like Amrapali Kata, who previously served as the GHMC Commissioner, and IPS officer Ronald Rose, who was known for his tenure as the Energy Secretary in Telangana.
IAS officer Srijana, who is currently working in Andhra Pradesh, would also have to move to Telangana.
The cadre allocation dispute, which has been contentious since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014, reached a critical juncture with the latest court decision.
Why did the matter end up in the High Court?
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the central authority for cadre allocation of All India Services, had rejected the officers’ pleas to reconsider their allocation to Andhra Pradesh earlier this month.
The Central Administrative Tribunal-Hyderabad too rejected the officers’ plea yesterday.
This decision was challenged in the Telangana High Court, where the officers sought to remain in Telangana, citing various administrative and personal reasons.
However, the High Court, in its recent session, dismissed these petitions, aligning with the DoPT’s stance. The court emphasized that while it understands the complexities involved, the judiciary’s role should not encroach upon the executive’s domain when it comes to cadre allocations, which are fundamentally administrative decisions.
In response to the court’s decision, the officers have been instructed to report to their designated positions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana immediately.