Centre blames CAT, TS for messing up AIS cadre allocation

Hyderabad: The Union government accused the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Hyderabad bench and Telangana government of messing up the issue of cadre allocation of  All India Services (AIS) officers to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

 Additional solicitor general T. Suryakaran Reddy representing the Union government on Tuesday submitted to this effect before a division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Surepalli Nanda, which was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Department for Personnel Training (DoPT), challenging the CAT orders in allotting 16 AIS officers to their choice of state, by setting aside their allocation orders issued by the Union ministry. Out of the batch petitions, the bench took up Somesh Kumar’s allocation orders, as the first case.

Putting forward the objections of the Union government against the CAT orders, Suryakaran Reddy submitted that the CAT unilaterally took the authority of AIS cadre allocation, which was actually vested with the DoPT.

Somesh Kumar challenged the decision of the DoPT before the CAT on the grounds that non-inclusion of P.K. Mohanty, the then Chief Secretary of United AP in the list of officers to be distributed amongst residuary Andhra Pradesh and newly-carved Telangana state. If Mohanty’s name was included in the list of to be distributed officers, he could have been allocated to Telangana State. Non inclusion of Mohanty’s name deprived him of his chance is Somesh’s contention.

Finding fault with the contention of Somesh Kumar, Suryakaran Reddy informed the court that Mohanty retired from AIS service on June 1, 2014, and the list was prepared consisting of officers who were in service as on June 1, 2014.

As the Union government’s arguments were concluded on Tuesday, the bench adjourned the case to April 4 for submissions of the senior counsel representing Somesh Kumar.