In a significant development, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Hyderabad has set a four-week deadline for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to comply with its earlier directive to reallocate IAS officer Siva Sankar Lotheti (IAS:2013) to the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
The directive came while the tribunal was hearing a contempt petition filed by Siva Sankar, who alleged non-compliance with CAT’s earlier order dated February 28, 2025. In that order, the tribunal had directed the DoPT to consider his Andhra Pradesh domicile and reassign him to the Andhra Pradesh cadre as an insider. The CAT had asked the ministry to issue appropriate orders and communicate the same to the officer within four weeks of receiving the judgment.
A bench comprising Judicial Member Dr. Lata Baswaraj Patne and Administrative Member Varun Sindhu Kul Kaumudi on Wednesday warned the DoPT to ensure full compliance and to submit proof of compliance before the tribunal by June 5. The bench cautioned that failure to implement the order would invite contempt proceedings against the concerned authorities.
