BJP, TPCC welcome TS High Court order asking Somesh Kumar to move to AP

Hyderabad: Soon after the Telangana High Court quashed the Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) order allotting chief secretary Somesh Kumar to Telangana, the Opposition parties welcomed the High Court's move.

Welcoming the High Court order directing Somesh Kumar to return to his original cadre allotment in Andhra Pradesh, K. Krishna Sagar Rao, spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, "BJP stands vindicated of our earlier charge that Chief Minister KCR was holding 'out of cadre' IAS officers for his 'special interest' against Central government administrative norms."

Further, Mr. Rao posed a few questions to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. "Why should he opt for favorites amongst IAS officers, especially those who are not even assigned to the Telangana state cadre? What do these officers enable for KCR? Why are these officers being given plum posts and are made to dominate and override all other administrative officers of the Telangana state cadre?" he asked.

Mr. Rao added that Somesh Kumar must immediately follow the High Court order and return to his assigned cadre allotment in Andhra Pradesh.

Revanth Reddy, the president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, said, "We have been saying from the beginning that the appointment of CS Somesh Kumar is illegal. The High Court recently said the same." He further added that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should investigate the decisions taken by Somesh Kumar as chief secretary, Dharani, head of the chief commissioner of land administration (CCLA), and Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).

High Court verdict

On Tuesday, the Telangana High Court issued a key verdict on the Somesh Kumar cadre allotment dispute. The High Court Bench led by Justice Ujwal Bhuya set aside the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal. Somesh Kumar's allocation to Telangana has been cancelled.

Somesh Kumar's counsel requested the court to suspend the execution of the order for three weeks. The High Court Bench rejected the counsel's plea and did not give any time. The CJ Bench directed Somesh Kumar to go and join the AP cadre as soon as the copy of the verdict is received Somesh Kumar will now have to approach the Supreme Court challenging the Telangana High Court's verdict.

Somesh Kumar was assigned to AP by the Center during the bifurcation of the state. Earlier, CAT had given orders to stop the Center's orders and continue in Telangana. Somesh Kumar continued in Telangana with CAT interim orders.