Telangana Govt Clarifies | Hyderabad, April 9: The Telangana government has clarified the appointment process of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Waqf Board following queries raised by the High Court.
According to an affidavit filed by the Minorities Welfare Department, the CEO post has remained vacant for some time. This vacancy caused delays in administrative decisions and court matters related to the Waqf Board.
The High Court earlier directed the government to make a temporary arrangement. The court said a senior officer should handle CEO duties to ensure smooth functioning. The move aimed to prevent delays in cases pending before the court.
Following these directions, the government continued Asadullah, an Additional Collector, as CEO with full additional charge. Officials described this as a temporary arrangement.
The government clarified that this decision was taken only due to court orders. It also said such appointments normally require officers who meet eligibility criteria prescribed under the Waqf Act.
Telangana Govt Clarifies
Officials explained that the rank of Additional Collector is not automatically equal to the rank of Joint Secretary. This difference relates to pay scale, hierarchy, and administrative powers. Because of this, the government sought clarification from the General Administration Department.
The file has been sent to the Cabinet Department to decide whether the two posts can be treated as equivalent. A final decision will be taken after this clarification.
The government also informed the court that the appointment cannot become permanent unless eligibility conditions are met. Therefore, the present arrangement remains only a stop-gap measure.
In another clarification, the government said a writ petitioner cannot challenge administrative arrangements made in public interest. The affidavit stated such decisions fall within government authority.
Officials also said internal department notes mentioned in the case are not final orders. They described them as routine internal communication between departments.
The government assured the court that it will appoint a full-time CEO once it receives the required administrative clarification.
The affidavit was sworn by the Deputy Secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department at Telangana Secretariat on April 8, 2026.
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