Masa Prasanthi Vs the State of Andhra Pradesh — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2025)

Masa Prasanthi Vs the State of Andhra Pradesh — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ Petition disposed of at admission stage with consent of counsel, with directions: (i) Petitioners to submit a fresh representation expressing grievance regarding proceedings pursuant to G.O.Ms.No.5 dated 12.06.2025 within two (02) weeks; (ii) Respondents to examine the Petitioners' cases individually and re-examine the orders of transfer; (iii) Respondents to take further action in terms of the letter dated 25.07.2025 issued by Respondent No.5 within eight (08) weeks thereafter — point (iii) amended on 26.09.2025 in IA No.3/2025 to delete the condition that the difficulties be found genuine. No costs; miscellaneous applications closed.

Issue for consideration

Whether the inaction of Respondent Nos. 4 to 6 in implementing the Proceedings in Rc.No. A2/539/2025 dated 25.07.2025 (for posting the Petitioner Village Surveyors at the specified vacant stations in YSR Kadapa District) is illegal and arbitrary. +1 more

Court's answer

Direction (i): The Petitioners were directed to submit a fresh representation to the Respondents expressing their grievance with regard to the proceedings issued pursuant to G.O.Ms.No.5 dated 12.06.2025, within two (02) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.

Ratio / Principle

Considering the difficulties expressed by the Petitioners, and without going into their entitlement to be considered against the vacant posts mentioned in the letter dated 25.07.2025, the Court disposed of the Writ Petition at the stage of admission with the consent of both counsel, issuing directions.

Key takeaways

Direction (ii): On such submission, the Respondents were directed to examine the case of the Petitioners individually and to re-examine the orders of transfer.ratio¶69
Direction (iii) as originally pronounced: in the event the difficulties expressed by the Petitioners were found to be genuine, the Respondents were to take further action in terms of the letter dt.25.07.2025 issued by Respondent No.5 within eight (08) weeks thereafter (subsequently amended, see next holding).ratio¶70
Amendment: Paragraph 5 point (iii) of the order was modified, as per the Court's order dt.26.09.2025 in IA No.3/2025, so that the operative portion reads that the Respondents shall take further action in terms of the letter dated 25.07.2025 issued by Respondent No.5 — i.e., the condition that the Petitioners' difficulties be found genuine was deleted from the operative portion.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Service law — Village Surveyors (Grade-III), A.P. Survey and Land Records Subordinate Service — transfer/posting — Petitioners, initially appointed vide Proceedings dated 14.11.2019 and transferred to non-opted stations in Annamayya District after fresh counseling under G.O.Ms.No.23 dt.15.05.2025 and G.O.Ms.No.5 dt.12.06.2025, challenged the inaction of Respondent Nos. 4 to 6 in implementing Proceedings Rc.No. A2/539/2025 dt.25.07.2025 (Respondent No.5's letter requesting their posting at Letapalli, K. Thimmapuram and Bheemagundam villages in YSR Kadapa District). Respondents contended the transfer ban was in force from 01.07.2025. Without deciding the Petitioners' entitlement against the vacant posts mentioned in the letter dt.25.07.2025, the High Court (Nyapathy Vijay, J.) disposed of the Writ Petition at admission stage with consent, directing: fresh representation within two weeks; individual examination and re-examination of transfer orders; and further action in terms of the letter dt.25.07.2025 within eight weeks. No costs; miscellaneous applications closed. By endorsement, point (iii) was amended per the Court's order dt.26.09.2025 in IA No.3/2025, deleting the 'genuine difficulties' condition from the operative portion.