Allocating DGP Anjani Kumar, others to Telangana: HC says will set aside CAT order

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on Tuesday said it will set aside the order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad, allocating Anjani Kumar DG, Abhilasha Bhisht ADGP, AV Ranganath, Abhishek Mohanty, C. Hari Kiran, D. Donald Rose, and other officers to Telangana state.

The officers were originally allotted to Andhra Pradesh after the formation of the Telangana.

A division bench of Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao was hearing the batch of writ petitions filed by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.

“We will set aside the orders of the allotment of officers as the Courts cannot perform the duty of appellate authority of allotting them amongst the states,” the court said.

Further, the court observed that it would send the matter back to the Union of India so that it could re-examine the entire issue of allocation of officers.

The Union of India will examine each case and also take into consideration the fact that most of the officers, who have now been working in Telangana, have completed more than 10 years of service in Telangana.

“Almost all the officers are at the end of their service. The fact that the number of years left over, will be looked into by the Union of India, and if necessary, it will also give a personal hearing to each of the AIS officers, whose allotment to the Telangana is challenged,” the bench observed.

Dr. K. Lakshmi Narasimha, Senior Counsel appearing for one of the officers vehemently opposed such an observation and prayed the court to hear each case individually on any other day as the state government has opposed the decision of the DOPT which sought suspension of the CAT Hyderabad order.

Given the new government taking the reins of the state, there is no Advocate General to represent the State. Hence, the senior counsel prayed the court to adjourn the matter to any other day. The other senior counsels also agreed with the contentions of Dr. K. Lakshmi Narasimha and sought a hearing on any other day.

The court was adjudicating a batch of writ petitions filed by the Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Public Grievance Pension, North Block, New Delhi seeking a direction to suspend the operation of orders of Central Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad allocating 13 All India Service Officers to the State of Telangana. All the AIS officers were originally allocated to Andhra Pradesh.

The CAT, Hyderabad Branch passed orders on 29-3-2016 allocating Anjani Kumar, Abhilasha Bhisht, A.V. Ranganath, Abhishek Mohanty, C. Hari Kiran, D. Donald Rose and others to the Telangana.

The matter has been adjourned till January 2, 2024.