No relief for AIS officers in HC

Hyderabad: The Telangana government relieved six AIS officers of the Andhra Pradesh cadre following Telangana High Court dismissing their petitions and refused to intervene in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) orders on the Directorate of Personnel and Training (DoPT) directives.

On Wednesday, the High Court Division Bench comprising Justice Abhinandan Kumar Shavili and Justice Laxmi Narayana Alishetty dismissed all the seven writ petitions filed by seven AIS officers directing them to abide by the orders of the DoPT issued on October 9 and report to their respective states on Wednesday.

The writ petitions came up for hearing before the Division Bench following a lunch motion by the AIS officers against the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday, directing them to report to the Andhra Pradesh government as per the directives of the DoPT.

Refusing to intervene in the orders of the CAT, Justice Abhinandan Kumar Shavili observed that the All-India Service Officers and bureaucrats have to work for the people wherever they are posted.

They should join the respective states, and courts cannot allow them in the right place, as it is the job of the Union of India to allot them, not the courts.

“Let them first go and report in their respective states”. Further, the Judge observed, “If the court entertains these pleas and grants stay, this will be endless and this goes on”.

Further, the Division Bench declined to agree to the contentions of the senior counsels for the petitioners, that all these seven AIS officers have put in more than 10 years of service in the respective states they have been working. Also, their services are essential in the states where they are currently working and, “the respective state governments have already written to the Government of India to retain them where they are as their services are required and further their families will be disturbed if they are told to move to the other state.”

The counsels further urged the Bench to stay the CAT orders, asking them to report to the Andhra Pradesh government by October 16 till November 4. However, the court refused the relief sought by the officials.

Against this backdrop, the Telangana government on Wednesday evening relieved Ronald Rose, Secretary- Energy Department, Vani Prasad, Secretary- Youth Affairs, Tourism, Culture and Sports Department, Amrapali Kata, Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Karuna Vakati- Secretary, Women and Child Welfare Department, all were originally allocated to the Andhra Pradesh cadre.

Similarly, Hari Kiran, Srijana Gummalla and Siva Sankar Lotheti were originally allotted to Telangana. However, currently working in AP, they must report to the Telangana government on Wednesday.