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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA

AT HYDERABAD

THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE T. MADHAVI DEVI

WRIT PETITION NO.24371 OF 2022

AND

WRIT PETITION NO.24818 OF 2022

DATED : 21.05.2026

W.P.NO.24371 OF 2022

Between:

Kampati Sathyanarayana and others

... Petitioners

AND

The State of Telangana, rep. by its

Principal Secretary, Revenue Dept.,

T.S.Secretariat, Hyderabad and others

... Respondents

COMMON ORDER

In both these Writ Petitions, the petitioners were all appointed as

Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs) as per T.S. Village Revenue

Assistants Service Rules, 2005 issued under the proviso to Article 309

W.P.Nos.24371 & 24818 of 2022

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of the Constitution of India. They were all appointed after following the

due process during the years 2006 to 2010 and as per Rule 5 of the said

Rules, the Tahsildar shall be the appointing authority.

2. It is submitted by the petitioners that on 20.06.2020, final

seniority list of Village Revenue Assistants of the erstwhile

Kothagudem Division was prepared after inviting objections to the

provisional seniority list and therefore, the said list has become final.

The names of the petitioners were shown in the said list and thereafter,

the Unit Head, i.e., Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), who is

competent to effect promotions to the post of Office Subordinate in the

Revenue Division, addressed a letter to the District Collector, Bhadradri

Kothagudem on 21.07.2020 for permission to effect promotions in

respect of Paloncha Revenue Division and Kothagudem Revenue

Divsion. On 22.09.2021, the District Collector, Bhadradri Kothagudem

replied stating that since the RDO is the Unit Officer, he shall take

further action and accordingly, the RDO after taking into consideration

the vacancy position, issued promotion orders on 01.10.2021 in

Rc.NoA/379/2019-I to 27 Village Revenue Assistants (which included

the petitioners) as Office Subordinates and Chainmen and the petitioners

and others were asked to report before the RDO, Mahabubabad. It

W.P.Nos.24371 & 24818 of 2022

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appears that the RDO, Mahabubabad did not accept the petitioners

reporting to duty. It is submitted that from October, 2021 to 06.02.2022

the petitioners continued as Office Subordinates and Chainmen.

Thereafter, the District Collector, Bhgadradri Kothagudem cancelled the

promotion orders on 06.02.2022 unilaterally without any notice.

Thereafter, on 01.04.2022, show-cause notices were issued to all the

petitioners with same contents giving the same reasons which were

mentioned in the earlier impugned orders and required the petitioners to

submit their replies for cancellation of the promotion orders. The

petitioners were also required to appear before the 2^nd respondent on

04.04.2022 and submit their replies. Challenging the orders of

cancellation of promotions dt. 06.02.2022 and also the final proceedings

of the 2^nd respondent dt.27.05.2022, these two Writ Petitions are filed.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners has drawn the attention of this

Court to the final seniority list filed along with the Writ Petitions to

demonstrate that the names of the petitioners are mentioned in the said

final seniority list dt.20.06.2020 and submitted that promotions have

been given in accordance with the said seniority list. He submitted that

without giving any notice to the petitioners, the orders dt.06.02.2022

were passed cancelling the promotions and thereafter, a show-cause

W.P.Nos.24371 & 24818 of 2022

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notice dt.01.04.2022 was issued and without considering the

explanations/submissions of the petitioners in proper perspective, the

final orders dt.27.05.2022 were passed. Therefore, according to him, the

respondents are not right in cancelling the promotions granted to the

petitioners herein.

4. Respondent No.2 has filed counter affidavit along with stay

vacate petition in I.A.No.4 of 2022. It is stated that after preparation of

final seniority list on 20.06.2020, there was a gap of more than one year

for issuance of promotions on 01.10.2021 which was contrary to the

Rules and t