P. RANJAN KUMAR Vs. THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT HYDERABAD, FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND 7 OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner who was promoted to the post of District Judge (Entry Level) by the proceedings dated 01-8-2015 and 04-9-2015 has come up with the present writ petition seeking notional/ retrospective promotion with effect from the date of availability of vacancies earmarked for Scheduled Castes candidates under the 100 point roster.

(2.) Heard Mr. P.V. Krishnaiah, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. S. Sriram, learned Standing Counsel for the respondents.

(3.) The petitioner was initially appointed as a Junior Civil Judge by the method of direct recruitment on 06-05-1994. He was promoted as Senior Civil Judge on 21-07-2005 and as District Judge (Entry Level) on 28-09-2015. His promotion to the post of District Judge (Entry Level) was under G.O.Ms. No.17, dated 01-08-2015 and G.O.Ms. No.42, dated 04-09-2015, under the 65% quota earmarked for promotion from the category of Senior Civil Judges on the basis of merit-cum-seniority. His grievance is that after the amendment to the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service Rules, 2007, under G.O.Ms. No.49 Law (L.A &J-Home-Courts-C) Department, dated 23-05-2013, a reservation is available in the matter of promotion to the post of District Judge (Entry Level) and that therefore he should have been considered under the vacancies that arose after the amendment.