Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has sought a detailed explanation from the state government over its decision to appoint senior IPS officers to key administrative posts reserved for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Justice Surepalli Nanda issued notices to the government while hearing a petition filed by advocate Vadla Srikanth challenging the controversial postings.
The petition questions Government Order (GO) No. 1342, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on September 26. As per the GO, several senior IPS officers were appointed to top IAS cadre posts:
- C.V. Anand as Special Chief Secretary, Home Department
- Stephen Ravindra as Commissioner, Civil Supplies and ex-officio Principal Secretary
- Shikha Goel as Director General, Vigilance & Enforcement, and ex-officio Principal Secretary in the GAD
The High Court has listed the next hearing for December 10.
Petitioner’s Argument in Court
Advocate Vijay Gopal, representing the petitioner, argued that appointing IPS officers to positions specifically reserved for IAS officers violates statutory service rules and weakens the legal sanctity of these posts. He stated that the IAS and IPS cadres are governed by distinct central laws, which clearly outline separate roles, responsibilities, and training modules.
He further contended that these appointments contradict established Supreme Court judgments and violate the IAS Cadre Rules, which regulate postings within the administrative hierarchy. According to him, policy-making posts must be handled by officers with administrative training, whereas IPS officers are primarily trained for law and order responsibilities.
The petitioner maintained that no administrative order can override statutory provisions related to cadre allocation and postings.
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