CAT rejects interim stay on IAS cadre reallocations, Telangana officers affected

Hyderabad: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has rejected to grant an interim stay on the recent orders from the Centre that dismissed the appeals of five IAS officers who challenged their cadre reallocations.

These officers sought to remain in their current positions under the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh state cadres, opposing transfers mandated by the Pratyush Sinha Committee guidelines. The CAT has directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to provide a comprehensive report by the first week of November addressing the officers' concerns.

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) did not suspend the Centre’s orders. It instructed the officers to report to their respective cadres starting tomorrow as previously directed. Additionally, the CAT requested a detailed account from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) regarding the decision-making process of the one-man committee by early November.

GHMC Commissioner Amrapali Kata, Tourism Principal Secretary Vani Prasad, Telangana’s Energy Secretary Ronald Rose, Women and Child Welfare Secretary Karuna Vakati, and NTR District Collector G. Srujana are expected to return to their original state cadres as scheduled by October 16, 2024. They have been advised to continue their regular duties until further notice.

The five IAS officers filed petitions to challenge the Centre's orders issued by the DoPT on October 9. These orders instructed them to return to their original cadres by October 16. Ronald Rose and Vani Prasad, who are currently in Telangana, along with G. Srujana in Andhra Pradesh, objected to their cadre reallocations based on the 2014 bifurcation guidelines.

They argued that the Centre's decisions did not adequately take into account their personal circumstances and criticised the flawed approach of the Pratyush Sinha Committee, which was responsible for the cadre bifurcation.

This conflict started from the division of IAS officers following Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation and Telangana's formation in 2014. The officers have served in their respective states for nearly a decade. While CAT initially allowed them to stay in their positions, the Telangana High Court later referred their cases to the Central government in 2023, instructing it to review their representations by existing guidelines.

On October 9, the DoPT rejected the officers’ appeals, reaffirming the original cadre allocation order from 2014, which mandates their return to their respective state cadres by the designated deadline.

The IAS officers have collectively raised several grievances regarding the cadre allocation process following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They argue that the decisions made by the Pratyush Sinha Committee did not adequately consider their personal circumstances, leading to unfair reallocation.

No relief for IAS, CAT Refuses to Stay Centre’s Rejection Orders,

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has refused to grant an interim stay on the Centre’s recent orders that rejected the pleas of five IAS officers challenging their cadre reallocation. These officers had… pic.twitter.com/7ftvXXspYe

— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) October 15, 2024