Dynamic and young IAS officer Kata Amrapali has virtually been shuttling between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states, thanks to the legal wrangle in deciding her state cadre.
On Monday, the Telangana high court stayed the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that had recently allotted Amrapali Kata, a 2010-batch IAS officer, to the Telangana cadre, marking a setback for the officer amidst a prolonged cadre dispute.
The high court set aside the CAT directive, directed Amrapali to file a detailed counter, and adjourned further hearing for six weeks.
The officer’s cadre allocation has undergone multiple legal and administrative twists over the past decade.
During the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Amrapali was originally allotted to the Andhra Pradesh cadre, because she originally hails from Visakhapatam, where she had done her schooling and graduation.
However, she moved to Delhi on central deputation for several years, before returning and reporting to the AP government, which assigned her responsibilities in the Tourism Department.
Seeking repatriation to Telangana, she approached the CAT saying that she wanted a swap arrangement with another IAS officer Harikiran of Telangana cadre, who was willing to go to Andhra cadre.
The CAT upheld her request and ordered that she be allotted to the Telangana cadre. Following the CAT order, she briefly served in Telangana, including additional charge as GHMC Commissioner.
However, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) challenged the CAT ruling, arguing that such a swap could not be legally validated because Harikiran belongs to a reserved category.
The department claimed that existing cadre swap policies cannot accommodate swaps in such scenarios, as it would amount to violating the framework governing reservation and cadre management.
The high court agreed with the DoPT contention and granted interim stay on the CAT order, thereby shunting Amrapali back to Andhra Pradesh, thereby reviving uncertainty regarding her official cadre status.
The court has now suspended the CAT order and placed the matter under judicial review.
The case has drawn attention within bureaucratic and administrative circles, given its implications for cadre allocation norms, post-bifurcation service rights, and the interpretation of DoPT guidelines.
With the next hearing scheduled after six weeks, the focus now shifts to how Amrapali will defend her case and what final view the high court will take.