THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T. MADHAVI DEVI WRIT PETITION NO.24319 OF 2023 AND CONTEMPT CASE NO.1673 OF 2024

COMMON ORDER

In W.P.No.24319 of 2023, the petitioners are challenging the action of the respondents in rejecting the case of the petitioners for notional promotion and seniority in the category of Senior Assistants on par with their batch-mates recruited as Village Revenue Officers (2014- Batch) through APPSC, vide Proceedings No.Ser.IV(1)/2738898/2024 dt.23.12.2024, as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional and consequently to direct the respondents to grant notional promotion and seniority in the category of Senior Assistants on par with their batch-mates as per their seniority in accordance with rules with all service and consequential monetary benefits and to pass such other order or orders.

2. Brief facts leading to the filing of the present Writ Petition are that the petitioners were appointed as Village Revenue Officers in the year 2014 through APPSC (Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission) after due process of selection in Ranga Reddy District.

Subsequently, they were promoted to the post of Senior Assistants on 04.11.2019 and are working as such till date. It is submitted that in the year 2016, when the petitioners were working as Village Revenue Officers due to reorganization of Districts and bifurcation of Mandals, all the Village Revenue Officers of Ranga Reddy District selected in the year 2014 were allotted to Ranga Reddy, Medchal, Vikarabad and Mahaboobnagar Districts and accordingly the petitioners were allotted to various Districts and are working as such. In the meantime, vide G.O.Ms.No.92, General Administration (SPF-MC) Department, dt.27.03.2017, all the District Heads of the erstwhile Districts were appointed as Nodal Officers to look after the service matters in respect of the employees of that Department working in the new Districts after reorganization until final allocation of the employees is made. Therefore, according to the petitioners, their seniority and other aspects of their service are to be considered under the erstwhile District of Ranga Reddy and the Nodal Officer of the erstwhile District ought to have followed the seniority list for sending the eligible Village Revenue Officers of the erstwhile District for Survey Training which is mandatory for promotion as Senior Assistant. It is stated that some of the juniors to the petitioners in the seniority list who were allotted to other Districts, were sent for Survey training ignoring the petitioners’ seniority. The petitioners immediately made representations. However, there was no response from the respondents and the juniors who completed the training were given promotion from the date of training and the petitioners were sent for six months training later and were promoted to the post of Senior Assistants on 04.11.2019. Consequently, the petitioners became juniors to their batch-mates who were ranked below the petitioners in the seniority list in the cadre of Village Revenue Officers. In view thereof, the petitioners made several representations, the latest being dated 23.08.2023, seeking notional promotion and seniority in the category of Senior Assistants on par with their batch- mates, but they did not consider their request and they were proceeding with further promotions to the posts of Deputy Tahsildars without considering the request of the petitioners for notional promotion. Therefore, the petitioners were constrained to file the present Writ Petition.

3. This Court, vide orders dt.01.09.2023, had directed the respondents to take the representation of the petitioners into consideration and if acceptable, to consider the petitioners for promotion to the post of Deputy Tahsildar. However, the respondents did not consider the case of the petitioners for promotion to the post of Deputy Tahsildar and therefore, Contempt Case in C.C.No.1673 of 2024 has been filed and in the meantime, the respondents also filed a stay vacate petiti