The Telangana High Court has declined to extend interim protection to two government doctors caught in the long-running Telangana-Andhra Pradesh cadre allocation dispute, directing them to pursue the core issue before the Supreme Court.
A division bench comprising Justices K Lakshman and K Sujana passed the order on Friday while hearing petitions filed by I Srilakshmi and Ratnam Andallu. The bench directed the respondents to file their counters by October 29 and warned that a failure to comply could attract a penalty of ₹25,000 per day.
The case concerns the allocation of medical department employees between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation of the erstwhile united state in 2014. The two doctors challenged a provisional allocation order issued in January 2016. They contend that, under Section 77 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the power to make the final allocation rests with the Centre and that relieving employees before final orders are issued is not legally sustainable.
The High Court had initially granted interim relief to the petitioners. However, a division bench dismissed their writ petitions in March 2022, after which several affected employees approached the Supreme Court. The latest High Court proceedings are therefore taking place against the backdrop of continuing litigation over how personnel should be allocated, retained or absorbed between the two states.
The Supreme Court, in an order dated April 24, 2025, directed the state to decide within a month on the doctors’ continuance in their existing posts. It also said that the pendency of related cases could not be cited as a reason for delaying that decision. The doctors submitted representations to the Telangana government in May 2025.
During Friday’s hearing, counsel for Telangana informed the High Court that the Supreme Court had asked both states in August 2025 to explore whether affected employees could continue in their existing positions or be permanently absorbed. Telangana had proposed that Andhra Pradesh bear the pensionary benefits if permanent merger was not feasible, the counsel said. Andhra Pradesh opposed that proposal in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in February 2026.
The High Court was also told that, in March 2026, the Supreme Court observed that certain employees could not continue in Telangana. The apex court directed that the appeals be listed for final hearing and vacated an interim order in a connected civil appeal.
The High Court had earlier expressed strong displeasure over the handling of the cadre allocation process. It questioned how employees could be directed to move to another state without adequately considering Supreme Court orders and the Union government’s position. The bench also cautioned that the matter should not reach a stage where it was compelled to summon the secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training, or senior officials including the principal secretary of medical, health and family welfare and the chief secretary.
The court noted that a status quo order granted by a division bench on September 17 had already been extended until October 8. It declined to continue the interim protection sought by the two doctors and adjourned the matter for further hearing, with the respondents’ counters due on October 29.
