Committee to frame rules on staff split set up between Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday constituted a joint committee to frame guidelines to resolve the dispute over division of electricity employees between AP and TS.
The court on Thursday had sought acceptance from both the states for constituting a committee headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court along with five representatives from each state to frame the guidelines that would enable the court to resolve the dispute and dispose the cases.
A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice P. Naveen Rao was hearing a batch of writ petitions by employees working in TS Genco and TSSPDCL, challenging their allocation to AP based on their place of birth.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the A-Gs of both the states informed the court that the governments were prepared for the committee and placed the names of five officials to be part of the committee.
The Bench told the 10 officers of the committee to start preparing guidelines for distribution of employees by March 31 by when it would finalise, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the retired judge who would head the committee.
After the guidelines are framed by the officers of the committee, the retired judge will review and place them before the court which will pass final orders for smooth distribution of employees of power utilities among the two states.
The A-Gs said that both the states will bear the salary and expenses of the committee head — 52 per cent by AP and 48 per cent by Telangana.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the CID of TS and AP to submit status reports of the investigation into the Akshaya Gold fraud.
The bench was dealing with a PIL by the AP Akshaya Gold Customers and Agents Welfare Association, represented by V.S.S. Purnachandra Rao, urging the court to appoint a committee headed by a retired judge of the HC on the lines of Agri Gold company and provide solace to the aggrieved depositors.
The bench asked the CID authorities to find out how many directors were changed in the Board of the company, their term and their role in the fraud. S. Sharath Kumar, special counsel for TS, said that eight cases were registered against the company in the state and three directors arrested so far.
He said the probing agency was making efforts to find out the properties owned by the firm in the state. Krishna Prakash, special counsel for AP, submitted that 20 cases were registered and the company has changed hands four times.
Counsel for Akshaya Gold Dhanunjay, said that even after payment, several landholders have not transferred their lands in the name of the company.
Asking why the company paid huge sums to landholders without the lands being transferred, the court asked the CID why no case was registered against the landowners. While asking the authorities submit status reports, the bench adjourned the case to March 24.
