Report to Andhra: High Court orders Somesh Kumar

Hyderabad: In a major administrative development, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday quashed the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Hyderabad, staying allotment of senior IAS officer and state Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to Andhra Pradesh cadre.

Somesh Kumar, who is to retire in December 2023, is learnt to be against going back to AP and is likely to seek voluntary retirement following which the possibility of appointing him as another advisor is also not ruled out.

Somesh Kumar has been playing a major role in implementation of various schemes being implemented by the government.

This decision at a time when the government was to face elections next year has come as a major shock and setback for the state government.

The High Court also refused to give time to Somesh to go in for an appeal. Following this the Department of Personnel, Government of India, issued an order relieving him from the post of Chief Secretary Government of Telangana and asked him to report in Andhra Pradesh by Thursday.

In 2016, CAT had allocated 13 All India Service Officers to the state who were originally allotted to Andhra Pradesh which includes Somesh Kumar, Anjani Kumar IPS, Abhilasha Bisht IPS, Abhishek Mohanty IPS, Ronald Rose IAS among a few.

This order was challenged by the Ministry of Personnel Public Grievance Pension in the state High Court. The bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice S Nanda on Tuesday was unhesitant of the opinion that CAT fell in error in interfering with the allocation list and set aside the CAT order and asked Somesh Kumar to revert to the State of Andhra Pradesh.

The panel further opined that CAT was not justified in holding the guidelines for allocation of All India Service officers borne on the undivided cadre of Andhra Pradesh between the two successor States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It said it was illegal and arbitrary. The bench stated that they have no hesitation in holding that CAT had grossly erred in interfering with the allocation of Somesh Kumar to the State of Andhra Pradesh.

The court also refused to accept the plea of the counsel appearing on behalf of Somesh Kumar for keeping the judgement in abeyance for a period of three months.