Finance (HR.I – Plg & Policy) Department – Circular Memo No. FIN01-HR0PDPP(RRD)/17/2026-HR-I, dated 25-06-2026 – Draft Guidelines on determination and distribution of cadre strength

GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

FINANCE (HR.I – PLG & POLICY) DEPARTMENT

Circular Memo No. FIN01-HR0PDPP(RRD)/17/2026-HR-I, Dated:25-06-2026

Sub: Finance Department – Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of

Local Cadres & Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025 – Determination

and Distribution of cadre strength among District, Zonal and Multi-Zonal local

cadres – Draft Guidelines-Communicated.

Ref: 1. Presidential Order S.O. 5777(E), dated 15.12.2025 (Andhra Pradesh Public

Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres & Regulation of Direct

Recruitment) Order, 2025), published in the Gazette of India, Part II, Section

3(ii), dated 15.12.2025.

2. G.O.Ms.No.45, GA(SPF&MC) Department, dated 20.04.2026 (re-publication

of the Presidential Order, 2025 in the A.P. Gazette).

3. G.O.Ms.No.54, GA(SPF&MC) Department, dated 14.05.2026.

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In the references 1st and 2nd read above, the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres & Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025 (“the Presidential Order, 2025”) has come into force with effect from 15.12.2025, in supersession of the 1975 Order, organising the State into 26 Districts, 6 Zones and 2 Multi-Zones as set out in the Schedule thereto.

2. In the reference 3rd read above, the General Administration (SPF&MC) Department has directed all Secretariat Departments to classify the categories of posts governed by their respective Service Rules into District Cadre, Zonal Cadre, or Multi-Zonal Cadre, in conformity with Paragraphs 3 and 6 of the Presidential Order, 2025, and to furnish proposals in Formats I to III of the Annexure thereto.

3. G.O.Ms.No.54 cited above addresses the classification of categories of posts into the appropriate local cadre. It is necessary to determine and distribute cadre strength in each category of posts among District, Zonal and Multi-Zonal local cadres in terms of Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres & Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025.

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4. Accordingly, Finance Department has prepared the draft guidelines on the determination and distribution of cadre strength, which are enclosed herewith as Annexure for information. Final Guidelines will be issued after approval by the competent authority. All Secretariat Departments and Heads of Departments are requested to immediately initiate internal processes and activities for the determination and distribution of cadre strength in the new local cadres, in anticipation of the Final Guidelines.

Vadarevu Vinay Chand

Secretary to Government (HR)

To

All the Special Chief Secretaries / Principal Secretaries / Secretaries to Government. All the Heads of Departments.

Copy to:

The General Administration (SPF&MC) Department.

The Law Department.

All District Collectors.

The P.S. to Hon’ble Minister for Finance.

The P.S. to Chief Secretary to Government.

The P.S. to Special Chief Secretary, Finance Department.

SF/SCs.

// FORWARDED :: BY ORDER //

SECTION OFFICER

Annexure

Draft Guidelines for distribution of cadre strength among local cadres of district, zone, and multi-zone as per the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation

of Direct Recruitment) Order, 2025 -

1. Applicability

1) These guidelines shall be applicable for all categories of posts (permanent,

temporary and also the supernumerary posts) sanctioned in the Secretariat

Departments, offices functioning at various levels under the Heads of the

Departments and also the State Level Offices / Institutions / Establishments.

2) These guidelines shall not be applicable for

i. Posts earmarked/ held by All India Service officers and officers belonging

to Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ of Government of India working in the state.

ii. Posts earmarked/ held by Judicial Officers.

iii. Posts in Legislature Secretariat and in Governor’s Secretariat.

iv. Posts in the Hon’ble High Court, District and other subordinate courts in

A.P.

v. Posts and personnel in Public Sector Entities.

3) All posts sanctioned in the offices mentioned under Para 14 of the Presidential

Order 2025 are exempt from application of the said Order. In a case where certain

categories of posts are specifically created in those offices, such categories of posts

themselves shall become exempt from application of Presidential Order 2025. In a

case where only a few posts, belonging to a category of post that is localized under

Para 3 of the Presidential Order 2025, are sanctioned in the said offices, then the

said exemption shall be applicable only to the extent of the number of posts

sanctioned in such offices, but not the entire category of post.

2. Consequent upon the bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh in the year 2014, the residual State of Andhra Pradesh comprised the following local areas as specified in Schedule-II to the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order, 1975:

3. As per the changes made in respect of local areas in the Presidential Order, 2025, the following 26 districts have been organized in 6 zones and 2 multi-zones in the State:-

4. In view of the changes effected in the local areas under the Presidential Order, 2025, the cadre strength of various categories of posts in each Department shall be determined and distributed among the respective local cadres in the manner specified below:

(1) Determination of Cadre Strength: The Cadre Strength of a local cadre shall be

the total number of sanctioned posts of a particular category, in a Department,

located within the territorial jurisdiction of the District, Zone, Contiguous District,

Contiguous Zone or Multi-Zone, as the case may be, for which the local cadre has

been organized; and

also, the posts borne in the A.P. Secretariat, Offices of Heads of Departments,

Special Offices or Establishments, and State-level Offices/Institutions, which are

filled on tenure basis from among the members of the respective local cadres.

(2) Exclusion of posts from Cadre Strength: The following posts shall not be taken

into account while computing the Cadre Strength of a category:

(i) Posts borne on the establishment of Special Offices or Special

Establishments, notwithstanding that such offices or establishments are

physically located within a District, Zone or Multi-Zone;

(ii) Posts borne on the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat,

Offices of the Heads of Departments, and other State-level Offices,

Institutions or Establishments.

(iii) Accordingly, only those posts forming part of the regular field

establishment within the territorial limits of the concerned local cadre shall

be reckoned for determination of the Cadre Strength.

(3) Distribution of Cadre Strength: The next step shall be the distribution of Cadre

Strength of each local cadre. After arrival of cadre strength for each category of

posts in the Department as specified para 10 (1) and (2) above, the cadre strength

shall be distributed among the new local cadres - district, contiguous district, zone,

contiguous zone and multi-zone, as the case may be, having regard to territorial

jurisdiction, administrative requirements, service delivery obligations and

functional necessity.

5. Establishment of Offices in the Reorganized Local Areas

Supervisory offices that are coterminous with the erstwhile local areas (4 Zones, 13

Districts & 51 Divisions).

1) In the case where a HoD has supervisory offices that have jurisdictions coterminous

with the erstwhile local areas, one of the following measures shall be adopted as

deemed fit.

a) The HoD may establish new supervisory offices in the newly created zones,

districts & divisions, as the case may be, and redefine the jurisdictions of the

existing offices in conformity with the reorganized local areas (2 multi-zones,

6 zones, 26 districts & 72 divisions).

b) In the case where establishment of the new supervisory offices is not financially

or administratively feasible, and if the operations in the reorganized local areas

can be managed from the existing supervisory offices, the HoD may propose

to continue with the existing offices appropriately redefining their jurisdictions,

as required.

c) If it is considered that the operations of the existing supervisory offices at a

particular multi-zonal / zonal / district / divisional level are not critical or

relevant to the current administrative requirements, the HoD may propose to

discontinue the existing offices at such levels, by shifting the functions, posts

and personnel concerned to the superior / subordinate offices or different

supervisory offices as may be necessary.

2) Where it is decided to establish new supervisory offices in the newly created multi-

zones, zones, districts & divisions, the following aspects shall be taken into

consideration.

a) If the new supervisory offices have already been established in the new local

areas, following the provisional allocation of posts and personnel effected in

the year 2022, the same offices may be confirmed and continued by the HoD.

b) If there are other offices existing in the respective local areas under the same

HoD, then the HoD may propose to convert such other offices as the new

multi-zonal / zonal / district / divisional offices, as the case may be.

c) As far as possible, the new multi-zonal / zonal / district / divisional offices

shall be established in and around the respective district / divisional

headquarters, unless the nature of business, service delivery, or operations of

such offices so requires.

Offices that are non-coterminous with the erstwhile local areas (4 Zones, 13 Districts & 51 Divisions).

3) In the case where a HoD has supervisory offices that have jurisdictions non-

coterminous with the erstwhile local areas, the HoD may propose to

a) continue with the existing office structure by aligning the jurisdictions of the

existing offices as may be necessary or

b) reorganise the offices coterminous with the local areas (District, Zonal and

Multi Zonal) specified in the Presidential Order 2025 or

c) if the operations of such offices are not critical or relevant to the current

administrative requirements, discontinue such existing offices and shift the

functions, posts and personnel concerned to superior or subordinate offices or

different offices as may be necessary.

4) The following offices under a HoD shall be deemed to have devolved to the

reorganized division, district, zone, or multi-zone, as the case may be, in which

they are located and such offices shall align their jurisdictions to the reorganized

local areas appropriately.

a) Offices functioning below the level of revenue divisions, whether or not they

are coterminous with the erstwhile local areas; and

b) Individual service delivery units that are technical, functional, or academic

but not supervisory in nature, and have independent operations (such as

institutions, schools, colleges, hospitals, police stations, engineering divisions

/ sub-divisions / sections, etc.).

6. Principles governing offices subjected to allocation

The offices that are subjected to allocation of cadre strength shall be decided based on the

following principles.

1) The Secretariat Departments, offices of HoDs and other State level offices /

Establishments / Institutions shall not be subjected to allocation, as such offices are

not affected by reorganization of local areas.

2) Where a HoD has field offices that have jurisdictions coterminous with the

erstwhile local areas (zones / districts / divisions), the cadre strength sanctioned in

such offices shall be subjected to allocation to the respective reorganized local areas

(multi-zonal / zonal / district / divisional), if the HoD decides to establish offices

in the newly formed local areas.

3) Where a HoD has field offices that are non-coterminous with the erstwhile local

areas, the cadre strength sanctioned in such offices shall not be subjected to allocation

across the respective reorganized local areas. However, if the HoD concerned

proposes to convert the existing non-coterminous offices into offices coterminous

with the reorganized local areas, then the cadre strength of such offices shall be

subjected to allocation accordingly.

4) Where a HoD has field offices below Division Level (viz. Mandal / Grama

Panchayat / Revenue Village level), the cadre strength sanctioned in such offices

shall not be subjected to allocation.

5) Where a HoD has individual service delivery units that are technical / functional

/ academic but not supervisory in nature (such as institutions, schools, colleges,

hospitals, etc.), the cadre strength of such units shall not be subjected to allocation.

7. Determination and distribution of Working Cadre Strength:

(1) The Working Cadre Strength of a local cadre shall be determined by deducting

the existing vacancies from the Cadre Strength. For this purpose, posts held by

persons on deputation, leave, on training or under suspension, shall be treated as

occupied posts and shall not be reckoned as vacancies.

(2) After determination of the working cadre strength for each category of posts

in the Department as specified above, the working cadre strength shall be

distributed among the new local cadres - district, contiguous district, zone,

contiguous zone and multi-zone, as the case may be, in the same proportion as the

cadre strength has been distributed among them.

(3) No post shall be left unallocated while distributing the Working Cadre

Strength among the reorganized local areas. In cases where a category comprises a

single post or two posts which cannot be apportioned on a proportionate basis, such

post or posts shall be allocated to such local cadre as may be determined based on

functional and administrative requirements.

(4) In cases where, in certain Departments, the number of sanctioned posts in

a particular category is limited, but a larger number of employees belonging to the

said category are working in other Departments on tenure basis or on Foreign

Service deputation, the posts held by such employees under Foreign Service in the

borrowing Departments shall be reckoned as part of the cadre strength solely for

the limited purpose of distributing personnel among the local cadres.

(5) Change of posts from State Level to multi-zonal cadre:- Certain categories

of posts which were hitherto State level posts, such as Deputy Collector, Deputy

Superintendent of Police (DSP), Commercial Tax Officer (CTO), and other

categories at a similar level, have now been organized into Multi-Zonal Cadres.

Accordingly, the sanctioned strength of such categories of posts shall be distributed

between Multi-Zone–I and Multi-Zone–II in accordance with the provisions of the

Presidential Order, 2025 and these guidelines.

8. Posts Allocation Ratios (PARs) for Distribution of Cadre Strength and Working Strength

1) For allocation of the sanctioned cadre strength of the supervisory offices in

the erstwhile local areas, into the reorganized local areas, each HoD shall

determine the Posts Allocation Ratios (PARs) based on specific Service Delivery

Parameter appropriate to the Department, such as (a) number of service-delivery

units (b) the number of beneficiaries (c) the extent of service-delivery area (d)

population; or (e) such other parameter as may be appropriate to the functions of

the department in the reorganized local areas. The HoD may also adopt the Service

Delivery Parameter used for the provisional allocation of posts and personnel

during the district reorganization exercise carried out in the year 2022.

2) Mandal-wise data on the Service Delivery Parameter chosen by the HoD

shall form the basis for computing the PARs.

3) In the case of offices subjected to allocation, the sanctioned cadre strength

of the erstwhile local area offices shall be allocated, in accordance with the PARs,

to the offices in the reorganized local areas formed from the respective erstwhile

local areas.

4) The PARs specify the proportion in which the cadre strength, or working

cadre strength, of a particular erstwhile local area is to be distributed among the

reorganized local areas formed out of that erstwhile local area, based on the relative

presence of the Service Delivery Parameter selected by the HoD in each of the

reorganized local areas.

Example 1: The PARs of a HoD for erstwhile Krishna district may be arrived at as

“Krishna : NTR : Eluru = 40 : 50 : 10” which means that 40% of the posts go to

reorganized Krishna, 50% to reorganized NTR and 10% to reorganized Eluru.

Example 2: Similarly, the PARs for erstwhile Kurnool district may be arrived at as

“Kurnool : Nandyal = 55 : 45” which means that 55% of the posts go to reorganized

Kurnool and 45% to reorganized Nandyal.)

5) In the case of offices subjected to allocation, the Working Cadre Strength of

the erstwhile local area offices shall also be allocated to the offices in the respective

reorganized local areas, in accordance with the PARs.

9. Allocation of Posts

A.) Post of Head of Office (HoO) in the supervisory offices subjected to allocation.

1) The posts of the existing HoOs in the erstwhile local area offices shall be

allocated to the reorganized local area offices based on the functional,

administrative or operational importance of those local areas.

2) For the remaining reorganized local areas, the post of HoO shall be

provided by one of the following means

a) Posts equivalent or immediately subordinate to the HoO cadre, which are

available in the erstwhile local area offices, shall be allocated to such

reorganized local areas and designated as HoO posts. Wherever required,

powers may be delegated to such posts as may be necessary.

b) The Head of Department may propose to relocate the required number of

vacant posts from other offices under the Head of Department..

B) Allocation of posts other than Head of Office (HoO) in the supervisory offices subjected to allocation.

1) Where a supervisory office is identified to be subjected to allocation, the

cadre strength sanctioned for that office shall, for the purpose of these guidelines,

be referred to as the Allocable Cadre Strength, and the corresponding working

strength shall be referred to as the Allocable Working Strength.

2) No posts should be omitted while distributing the allocable cadre strength

among the reorganized local areas.

3) Where there are posts in different grades in a category, that carryout similar

functions, and if the cadre strength in each grade is too small to be apportioned

then the number of posts of different grades may be clubbed for allocation.

For instance, where 1 post of Mechanic Grade-I and 2 posts of Mechanic Grade-II

are to be allocated to 3 reorganized districts, then the cadre strength of these posts

may be clubbed, and 3 posts may be allocated to the 3 reorganized districts.

4) In case of single / isolated posts that cannot be proportionately divided and

allotted, such posts shall be allocated depending on their functional /

administrative requirement.

5) While allocating the cadre strength of the Ministerial Service posts, it should

be ensured that every office gets at least one ministerial post to the possible extent.

6) In case the HoD considers that the cadre strength of the supervisory offices

at erstwhile multi-zonal / zonal / district/ division levels is too low to be

apportioned among the reorganized local areas then the HoD may propose one of

the following measures.

a) Propose to relocate to such offices, required number of vacant posts from

other office(s) in order to achieve the minimum cadre strength requirement.

b) Propose not to divide the cadre strength but redefine the jurisdiction of such

offices appropriately in alignment with the reorganized multi-zones / zones

/ districts / divisions.

c) Propose discontinuation of the offices by shifting the functions, posts and

personnel concerned to superior or subordinate offices or different offices as

required.

10. Provisional allocation for Markapuram and Polavaram Districts

1) Government has vide reference cited… has notified and created two districts

of Markapuram and Polavaram Districts wef . These two districts have

not been included in the Schedule to the Presidential Order, 2025. However, the

provisional allocation of posts is to be done to these districts also, until such time

as these districts are formally included in the Presidential Order.

2) In this regard, all departments shall ensure that the final allocation to the 26

districts, particularly in respect of the districts from which Markapuram and

Polavaram have been formed, accounts for the provisional allocation to these two

districts. Orders of provisional allocation shall be issued simultaneously with the

final allocation orders for the 26 districts.

11. Detailed Process

The following activities shall be carried out for the final allocation of cadre strength and

working strength duly adopting the core principles specified above.

Step – 1 : Identification of offices subjected to allocation

1) The HoD shall collate the list of offices existing in the department as on date, duly

excluding any district or divisional offices created as part of the district

reorganisation exercise carried out in 2022.

2) The HoD shall then categorize the offices into the following.

a) List of offices subjected to allocation.

b) List of offices that are not subjected to allocation, along with justification. 3) The Head of Department shall specify the details of the offices to be established in

the reorganised local areas in respect of each office subjected to allocation, and map

each new office to the respective erstwhile local area office.

4) The HoD shall carry out the above activities through the designated online platform.

Step – 2: Arriving at Posts Allocation Ratios (PARs)

1) The HoD shall decide the Service Delivery Parameter as specified in the guidelines

above.

2) The Head of Department shall feed mandal-wise data on the chosen Service

Delivery Parameter on the designated online platform to compute the PARs for

distribution of both cadre strength and working cadre strength.

Step – 3 : Final Allocation of Cadre Strength &Working Strength

1) The HoD shall distribute the allocable cadre strength across the reorganized local

areas as per the PARs arrived at.

2) The HoD shall then distribute the allocable working strength also across the

reorganized local areas following the same PARs.

3) The above activities shall be carried out on the designated online platform for

which separate orders shall be issued by the Finance Department.

Step – 4 : Submission of Proposal and Orders on Final Allocation

1) The HoD shall generate the proposal containing the final allocation of cadre

strength and working strength and submit it to the Secretariat Department

concerned.

2) The Secretary concerned shall scrutinise the proposal, ensure that it is in conformity

with these guidelines and the Presidential Order, 2025, and forward it for the

concurrence of the Finance Department.

3) The Finance Department shall examine the proposal, accord concurrence and issue

the necessary orders on the final allocation of cadre strength and working cadre

strength.

12. Ban on Certain Administrative Activities: There shall be a ban on creation and upgrading of posts, fresh recruitment, promotions, transfers and deputations in all departments until the process of allotment of personnel to their respective local cadres is completed in the respective Departments, to ensure smooth implementation of Paragraph 4 of the Presidential Order, 2025.

13. All Special Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and Ex-Officio Secretaries to Government in the Secretariat Departments, all Heads of Departments, all District Collectors, Regional and District Heads, and other Competent Authorities shall take necessary action in the matter accordingly.