HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday questioned the locus standi of a petitioner who has challenged a GO allowing IPS officers to be posted in IAS cadre positions in the state.
Justice EV Venugopal asked petitioner Vadla Srikanth, an advocate and social activist, to explain how he was personally affected by GO Rt. No. 1342, issued by the General Administration (SPL. B) department on September 26, 2025, permitting IPS cadre officers in Telangana to be appointed to certain posts earmarked for the IAS cadre.
During the hearing, the court sought clarification from counsel for the petitioner on how the petitioner had the necessary locus standi to maintain the writ petition. The judge directed the petitioner to implead any persons who were directly aggrieved by the GO and adjourned the matter to April 15.
Earlier, on December 1, 2025, another bench of the HC had issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the state government and the General Administration Department, seeking their response to the petition.
The writ petition names several IPS officers currently holding IAS cadre posts, including Stephen Raveendra, IPS, Commissioner of Civil Supplies and ex-officio principal secretary to the state government; Shikha Goel, IPS, director general, Vigilance and Enforcement and ex-officio principal secretary to the state government, GAD, Telangana; and CV Anand, IPS, special chief secretary, home department.
The petitioner has argued that the order violates the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, read with the IAS (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Amendment Regulations, 2016. He has sought directions to ensure that only IAS officers are appointed to IAS cadre posts, in line with statutory provisions, and that IPS officers presently occupying such positions be removed.
The case will be heard next on April 15, 2026.