Hyderabad,10.10.2024: In a setback for IAS officer Amrapali Kata, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions has rejected her request for allocation to the Telangana cadre. Amrapali Kata, a 2010 Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer, had appealed to be considered for the Telangana cadre, but her request was denied on Wednesday, October 9, based on the recommendations of the Khandekar Committee.
Amrapali Kata currently serves as the Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in Telangana. However, following the Ministry’s decision, she will now be required to return to her original Andhra Pradesh cadre.
Khandekar Committee’s Findings
The Khandekar Committee emphasized that Amrapali Kata had initially listed her permanent address as Visakhapatnam in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) application. She sought to be recognized as an insider of Telangana, but this request was denied based on established guidelines by the Pratyush Sinha Committee, which handled the initial allocations post the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
The Ministry accepted the Committee’s findings, reiterating that the allocation process for IAS officers from the undivided Andhra Pradesh cadre followed uniform procedures. The High Court had previously upheld these guidelines and warned that any deviations would be unfair.
Challenge to IAS Allocation Guidelines
Amrapali Kata had previously challenged the guidelines for IAS officer allocations after Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation, an appeal that the High Court did not favor. The Khandekar Committee noted that Kata’s challenge overstepped into policymaking and confirmed that her allocation to Andhra Pradesh was based on factual records, just like the rest of the officers.
Career Background of Amrapali Kata
Amrapali Kata, born on November 4, 1982, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, and holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. She previously worked at ABN AMRO Bank before joining civil services. Securing the 39th rank in the 2010 UPSC examination, she was one of the youngest candidates to clear the exam. She also became the first female District Collector of Warangal Urban District.
With her request now denied, Amrapali Kata is set to return to serve in the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
IAS officer Amrapali Kata’s request for Telangana cadre has been denied. She will now return to the Andhra Pradesh cadre following the Ministry’s decision. #AmrapaliKata #IAS #Telangana #AndhraPradesh #CivilServices pic.twitter.com/YSr36xKrdU
— Snap News (@snapnews_24) October 10, 2024
