2 varsities told to extend services in AP, Telangana tells High Court

The TS government placed a memo before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt in response to petitions filed separately by the AP government, Prof P. Chenna Reddy of Telugu University and a taken up matter with regard to extension of services to students of the AP and also transfers of staff of Potti Sriramulu University.

The bench on September 4, 2015 directed Centre to intervene in the dispute between AP and TS governments for continuation of services of the Ambedkar Open University and Potti Sriramulu Telugu University to students of AP. The court made it clear that the AP shall bear salaries of teaching and non –teaching staff working in study centres of the two varsities located in the AP from August 2015 onwards.

According to the memo, secretaries of higher education departments of both the states met and it was decided that the AP government will pay salaries and maintenance charges for the study centres. After the meeting, the secretary of AP wrote to the Telangana secretary requesting the centre be made operational. Accordingly, the government issued orders on November 4, directing both the varsities to provide services to the students of AP.

AP advocate-general P. Venugopal submitted that they had certain objections on the memo filed by TS and urged the court to grant time to file his objections. Considering the request, the bench adjourned the hearing.