A hurried affair

The reallocation process of employees of different categories in Telangana has come under fire

The process of reallocating employees of different categories to new local cadres that comprise seven zones and two multi-zones that were created after the reorganisation of districts in Telangana is turning out to be a controversial process. The employees are complaining that the process, being done in a hurried manner, has long-term implications for them. The government has initiated the process for reallocation three years after the Presidential Order — the Telangana Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order — came into effect in 2018.

A study of the Presidential Order indicates that emphasis has been laid on nativity. But the government has drawn flak for considering seniority over nativity. The Presidential Order of 2018, which replaced the old one of 1975, elaborates on the measures that should be followed for choosing local cadres. It says there should be “preference of the persons concerned for allotment to any local cadre where feasible...”, whereas the Government Order of December 6, 2021, directs the heads of departments to prepare lists of all the allocable employees as per seniority in each of the erstwhile local cadres for new local cadres. Close to two lakh employees, other than those working in the Secretariat and in the offices of the heads of departments like commissionerates/directorates, are likely to be affected by the reallocation process.