Telangana HC Rules Administrative Needs Supersede Employee Preference in Police Cadre Allotment
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has upheld the state government’s power to prioritize administrative requirements over individual employee preferences in matters of staff allocation. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin was dealing with the appeal filed by 13 reserve assistant sub-inspectors (ARSIs) of TG Special Police Battalions (TGSPB).
The petitioners objected to the Decision No. 33 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated May 15, 2023, which approved the proposal of the Director General of Police (DGP) that the allocation of personnel in the TGSPB to the newly organized local cadres should be made taking into account the administrative obligations and the regional location of the battalion in which they serve.
The petitioners have also challenged the resulting allocation orders and sought directions to the government to allocate them to Contiguous Zone Squad-II (CZC-II) in accordance with the options exercised by them. A single judge had previously rejected this request.
The appellants started their service as constables in 10th Battalion at Beechupally in erstwhile Mahbubnagar district in 1995 and were shifted to different battalions in 2018 to avail promotion opportunities. After the 2018 Presidential Order led to the reorganization of the police force into CZCs, they opted to be placed in CZC-II, which includes their home district. However, they were ultimately assigned to CZC-I because they served in battalions that fell into that area.
After reviewing the appeals, the court emphasized that employee choice was an important consideration, but that it could not override broader administrative concerns. He observed that it was vital to maintain balanced and effective operational units, especially in disciplined forces such as the Special Police.
The Board noted a clear distinction between the process of organizing local cadres and the subsequent allocation of personnel. It ruled that the time limit stipulated in the Presidential Decree applies only to the formation of staff and not to the allocation of employees. Since the state has completed the staff organization within the stipulated time, it is not possible for the subsequent allocation work to be faulty in this respect.
Millions March Case: Supreme Court Directs Government and Police to Respond on Request of BRS Leaders
The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state government and police to file counter-affidavits of former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and former ministers KT Rama Rao T. Harish Rao in cases registered against them during the Million March protest in March 2011.
They had approached the Supreme Court to quash the criminal cases filed against them in connection with the protests during the Telangana statehood drive. The court directed the authorities to present their arguments and adjourned the matter to April 9 for further hearing.
