PHC010369292025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) SMB 'n-i ir THURSDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NYAPATHY VIJAY WRIT PETITION NO: 18670 OF 2025 Between: Y. Ramakrishna, S/o Y. Krishnaiah, Aged 62 years, District Agriculture Officer, Bapatia, R/o D.No.B/E-3, B Camp, Kurnool. ...Petitioner AND 1. The State of Andhra Pradesh, Rep. by its Special Chief Secretary Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Guntur District. 2. The Special Commissioner, O/o the Commissioner Agriculture, Old Mirchi Yard, Guntur. Secretariat, Velagapudi, and Director of ...Respondents Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ declaring the inaction on the part of the respondents in considering the claim of the petitioner and other similarly situated persons for promotion as Joint Director of Agriculture from the category of Deputy Director of Agriculture as illegal, arbitrary and violative of Article 14, 16 and 21 of the Constitution of India and petitioner for consequently direct the respondents to consider the claim of the promotion as Joint Director of Agriculture lA NO: 1 OF 2Q2fi Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased direct the respondents to consider the claim of the petitioner for promotion as Joint Director of Agriculture from the category of Deputy Director of Agriculture, pending disposal of the Writ Petition Counsel for the Petitioner: SRI V MAHESWAR REDDY Counsel for the Respondents No.1, 2: GP FOR SERVICES II The Court made the following order: to APHC010369292025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) Q!¥iQ '■n-i iMZ [3460] THURSDAY,THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NYAPATHY VIJAY WRIT PETITION NO: 18670/2025 Between: 1.Y. RAMAKRISHNA,, S/0 Y. KRISHNAIAH, AGED 62 YEARS, DISTRICT AGRICULTURE OFFICER, BAPATIA, R/0 D.NO.B/E-3, B CAMP, KURNOOL. ...PETITIONER AND 1.THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY ITS SPECIAL CHIEF SECRETARY AGRICULTURE AND COOPERATION DEPARTMENT, VELAGAPUDI, GUNTUR DISTRICT. SECRETARIAT 2.THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONER, 0/0 THE COMMISSIONER AND DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE, OLD MIRCHI YARD, GUNTUR. ...RESPONDENT(S): Counsel for the Petitioner: 1.VMAHESWAR REDDY Counsel for the Respondent(S): 1.GP FOR SERVICES II The Court made the following: 2 VN, J W.P.No.18670 of 2025 r THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NYAPATHY VIJAY WRIT PETITION No.18670 of 2025 ORDER: The present writ petition is filed questioning the action of respondents in not considering the claim of the petitioner in similarly situated persons for promotion to the post of Joint Director of Agriculture from the category of Deputy Director of Agriculture. 2. The facts leading to the filing of the writ petition are as follows; The petitioner was initially recruited as Agriculture Officer in the year 1992 and thereafter promoted as Assistant Director of Agriculture and further promoted as Deputy Director of Agriculture. Though the last promotion of the petitioner in the cadre of Deputy Director of Agriculture was in the year 2011, further promotion to the post of Joint Director of Agriculture was not considered in spite of his representations. . a: 3 VN, J W.P.No.18670 of 2025 3. The learned Government Pleader for Services-ll on instructions, would submit that interim order of status quo was passed in W.P.No.2962 of 2019 and due to the interim order of this Court promotions to the post of Joint Director of Agriculture were not affected for the last six years. In response, learned counsel for petitioner would submit that the interim order of status quo passed by this Court on 25.04.2019 in W.P.No.2962 of 2019 is only with regard to the parties therein and not promotions to the post of Joint Director. This aspect was not seriously disputed by the learned Government Pleader. 4. Heard the learned counsel. 5. An O.A.No.178 of 2019 was filed before A.P.Administrative Tribunal (as it then was) by G.Lakshman Kumar and others questioningthe permissionaccordedto the Directorof Agriculture to review the panels for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 prepared in the category of Assistant Director of Agriculture in the year 2019 and in according notional promotion in the category of Assistant Director of Agriculture to unofficial respondent Nos.4 I 4 VN, J W.P.No.18670 of 2025 and 5 and also issuing G.O.Ms.No.91, Agriculture & Co-operation (AgrI.I) Department, dated 12.12.2017. 6. In the said O.A., an interim order was passed directing status quo to be maintained as regard applicants 1 to 4 therein as the status quo of the applicants was likely to be altered in view of the review. Questioning the same, the unofficial respondents in the said O.A. filed W.P.No.2962 of 2019 before this Court. The Hon’ble Division Bench of this Court taking note of the fact that the further promotions are likely to be effected, disposed of the said writ petition extending the interim order of status quo both to the applicants as well as the unofficial respondents. The relevant portion of the order is extracted below; On the above analysis, this Court is of the considered view that the petitioners as also rightly considered by the Tribunal are entitled to an interim order, which adequately protect their interests. In the light of this observation, when we examined the interim order granted by the Tribunal, it is obvious that the Tribunal only granted a direction to the official respondents to maintain status quo of the applicants 1 to 4 as on the date of granting order but did not give such a 9. 5 VN, J W.P.No.18670 of 2025 direction of status quo insofar as the non-official respondents. Therefore, it is trite to note that by the interim order granted by the Tribunal, the interests of the petitioners do not stand adequately protected, during the pendency of the O.A. 10. For the afore stated reasons, we are inclined to consider the request of the petitioners for granting a comprehensive interim order pending final disposal of the OA, as such a course meets the ends of justice. 11. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of; and, while confirming the interim order directing the official respondents to maintain status quo of the applicants 1 to 4 as on 14.02.2019, there shall be a further direction to the official respondents to maintain status quo, as on 14,02.2019 insofar as the non official respondents also, pending final disposal of the OA. It is apparent that the above judgment of this Court restricted only to the applicants and unofficial respondents in the O.A. Subsequently, O.A.No.178 of 2019 was transferred and renumbered as W.P.(AT) No.21 of 2022 and the pending before this Court. As the order of status quo is only 7. was same was • r ' 6 VN, J W.P,No.18670 of 2025 restricted to the applicants/petitioners and unofficial respondents in O.A.No.178 of 2019 (W.P.(AT) No.21 of 2022), there appears to be no bar for the respondent authorities to consider promotions to the post of Joint Director. Therefore, the Writ Petition is disposed of with the following directions: (i) The respondent authorities are directed to consider the case of the petitioner for promotion to the post of Joint Director of Agriculture as expeditiously as possible. (ii) It is made clear that the promotions that are effected would be subject to the outcome of W.P.(AT) No.21 of 2022 pending before this Court and finalisation of seniority lists. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel, miscellaneous applications pending, if any. shall stand closed. Sd/- K. TATA RAP DEPUTY REGISTRAR SBd^^NOFFlCER j //TRUE COPY// To, 1. The Special Chief Secretary, State of Andhra Pradesh, Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Secretariat, Velagapudi, Guntur District. 2. The Special Commissioner, O/o the Commissioner and Director of Agriculture, Old Mirchi Yard, Guntur. SRI V MAHESWAR REDDY Advocate [OPUC] SERVICES II High Court of Andhra Pradesh 3. One CC to 4. Two CCs to GP FOR [OUT] 5. Two CD Copies dsg HIGH COURT DATED: 24/07/2025 ORDER WP NO. 18670 OF 2025 7 5jtn- itn5 ^ current section OCSPaTC>*^ DISPOSING THE WP WITHOUT COSTS