Hyderabad: Litigants and the public who have been seeking distribution of assets and liabilities of common institutions for the states of AP and Telangana and also implementation of promises made by the Union of India during the bifurcation of AP are looking at the Supreme Court with hope because it has decided to settle issues by hearing all the related matters together.
In particular, the judicial officers working in subordinate courts in both states, who have been demanding their final allocations for the past four years, are hoping that the apex court will decide their case expeditiously as their case is listed for hearing on August 28.
Telangana Judicial Officers’ Association representing its president Mr Varaprasad had moved the apex court seeking direction for the bifurcation of the subordinate judiciary. The Association challenged the guidelines prepared by the High Court for the allocation of subordinate judicial officers among both states.
The Supreme Court on April 28, 2017, while nullifying the guidelines of the High Court directed the Department of Promotions and Training (DoPT) to prepare the guidelines with the consultation of Chief Secretaries and judicial officers’ associations of both states and after referring the list to the concurrence of the High Court, make arrangements for the division of the subordinate judicial officers between both states.
According to the Telangana Judicial Officers Association, the DoPT has prepared the guidelines by making the nativity of the judicial officer as first preference for the allocation and second preference was given to the seniormost officers in case of leftover posts. The Association members said that when the guidelines were sent to the High Court for concurrence, the High Court modified the preferences and had given first preference to the seniormost officer which would be detrimental to the interests of the officers of Telangana.
