A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao, on Monday sought clarification from counsel representing petitioners in a writ petition challenging the implementation of the state’s reservation policy. The petition, filed by Pogula Rambabu and two other Group-1 aspirants, questions the reservation rules under Government Order (GO) 29. During the hearing, the bench asked the petitioners’ counsel to clarify whether the petition challenges the validity of GO 29 itself or its implementation. The court remarked, “If a rule is being challenged, we will deal with it. But if it is an implementation issue, the case will be sent to a single bench.”
Counsel explained how the implementation of GO 29 was allegedly causing harm to the aspirants. In response, the judges sought further explanation on how the situation was before and after the issuance of the said GO. They asked for a concise single page explanation detailing the issue.
The bench also raised questions regarding the inclusion of a separate issue related to reservations for physically handicapped (PH) candidates, noting that none of the petitioners belong to this category.
The judges asked how the PH reservation issue was connected to the petitioners’ grievances. The advocate argued that both issues were affecting their selection prospects. The bench adjourned the case to September 25, stating that if the court is convinced by the explanation, the writ petition will be heard. Otherwise, the matter will be referred to a single bench for further proceedings.