Contract Service in Andhra Pradesh Ineligible for Weightage Marks in Telangana Recruitment: HC

The Telangana High Court has barred candidates seeking recruitment weightage for contractual services rendered outside the state, ruling that service in the composite State of Andhra Pradesh is legally deemed service to the present-day State of Andhra Pradesh alone.

Justice Pulla Karthik, presiding over a batch of writ petitions, addressed the grievances of Lab Technician Grade-II aspirants who were denied service weightage marks for their tenures in Andhra Pradesh. The Bench examined the interplay between the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the The Telangana Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres And Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2018 to determine the eligibility of such candidates for preferential marks in Telangana's recruitment process.

Key Takeaways

State Sovereignty in Recruitment

Employers possess the absolute discretion to restrict service weightage benefits exclusively to those who have rendered temporary service within their specific department or state.

Legal Fiction of Service Allocation

Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, service rendered prior to the state's bifurcation is legally attributed to the state to which the service was connected, preventing cross-state claims for weightage.

Definitional Strictness

In post-bifurcation recruitment notifications, terms like 'Government' or 'State' are interpreted strictly as the 'Government of Telangana' or 'State of Telangana' unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Limited Scope of Qualification Parity

While educational qualifications from both states may be accepted for eligibility, such parity does not automatically extend to service experience weightage.

The Definition of State and Government Service

The Telangana High Court noted that as per the The Telangana Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres And Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2018, specifically Sections 2(j) and 2(k), the word 'Government' must be read exclusively as the 'Government of Telangana'. The petitioners had argued that since the recruitment notifications did not explicitly exclude experience from Andhra Pradesh, they were entitled to the marks. However, the Court found this interpretation inconsistent with the statutory framework governing the new state.

Furthermore, the Bench referred to Section 78(2)(a) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, noting that services rendered prior to June 2, 2014, in the combined state are deemed to have been rendered in connection with the affairs of the State of Andhra Pradesh for those not specifically allocated to Telangana.

Judicial Rationale and Precedent

The Telangana High Court relied heavily on the Full Bench decision in Mallesh Korukoru and others v. State of Telangana, which established that a person working in one organization cannot claim parity with those in a different department or state. The Court observed that “Since it is a discretionary power TSTRANSCO is well within its power to restrict weightage to service rendered on contract basis/on outsourcing basis in the Power Utilities of the Telangana State. Merely because, APTRANSCO was the employer before bifurcation of the State of Andhra Pradesh, and merely because TSTRANSCO was carved out from APTRANSCO, are no grounds for an employee of APTRANSCO to claim that he/she is entitled to the benefit of weightage while applying for a post in TSTRANSCO.”

Ratio

An employer has the legal authority to restrict the application of service weightage to temporary or contractual service rendered only under that specific employer or within a particular post in the state. Service rendered in a parent state prior to bifurcation does not automatically entitle a candidate to weightage marks in the successor state, as such service is deemed to be connected to the affairs of the state to which the person belonged post-bifurcation under the Reorganisation Act.

Background

The petitioners, qualified Lab Technicians from Nalgonda District, applied for posts under Notification Nos. 67/2017 and 3/2024 issued by the Telangana State Public Service Commission. They claimed weightage for contract service rendered between 2003 and 2017 in Andhra Pradesh. While they were initially granted interim relief by the Court to participate in the selection process, the State and unofficial respondents (candidates working in Telangana) contested their eligibility.

The respondents argued that weightage marks, as per G.O.Ms.No.166 and G.O.Ms.No.59, were a policy decision intended only for those serving in Telangana's Medical and Health Department. They contended that since the petitioners were drawing salaries from the Andhra Pradesh government, they could not claim benefits from Telangana's state exchequer. The Telangana High Court ultimately upheld this view, vacating the interim orders and dismissing the petitions.

Case Details:
Case No.: WRIT PETITION Nos.15264 OF 2023, 20006 OF 2024, 26080 OF 2025 and 29252 OF 2025
Case Title: P. Srinaiah and another v. The Telangana State Public Service Commission and others
Appearances:
For the Petitioner(s): Mr. M.R. Tagore and Ms. B. Shirisha, Counsel
For the Respondent(s): Sri P.S. Rajashekar, Standing Counsel for TGPSC; Government Pleader for Services-I; Sri Siripuram Keshava, Counsel for unofficial respondents

Source: 2026 CaseBase(TEL) 37637