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AP, TS power staff hope for solution

Moreover, the committee has remained silent on the issue of 3,552 employees who are on order to serve with AP utilities.

Vijayawada: Power utilities of Andhra Pradesh are hoping that the one-man Justice Dharmadhikari committee would take the right decision on the long-pending allocation of employees between power companies of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The committee is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Sunday to take a final call on allocation of employees between the two Telugu states. Senior officials of AP power utilities, including energy secretary Srikant Nagulapalli, have proceeded to New Delhi for presenting a strong case before the committee.

According to senior AP officials, the total allocable state cadre employees in power utilities were 6,102 on the date of bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh. AP had to accept employees in the 58:42 ratio as per the population of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This was despite Telangana consuming 54 percent of power.

The allocable employees were decided in accordance with provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and three government orders (GOs) were issued in this regard. However, Telangana companies unilaterally relieved 1,157 employees citing their AP nativity. In accordance with High Court orders, 613 of the 1,157 employees opted for AP and 502 chose Telangana. The remaining 42 did not exercise any option.

Subsequently, another 229 persons, both allocable and un-allocable of Telangana nativity self-relieved themselves from AP and they were unilaterally allowed to join Telangana. AP officials maintain that the acts of Telangana power utilities relieving 1,157 employees and allowing 229 employees to join are highly irregular and against law.

But the report of Justice Dharmadhikari on December 26, 2019 attempts to legalise the two irregular actions of Telangana utilities. The committee recommended that of the 1,157 employees, 655, including 613 employees who opted for AP and 42 who have not conveyed their choice, should be re-allotted to power utilities in Andhra Pradesh.

“This is highly objectionable as it would significantly add to the financial burden of AP utilities, potentially hampering their functioning,” a senior official said.

Moreover, the committee has remained silent on the issue of 3,552 employees who are on order to serve with AP utilities. It has also not considered the case of 256 employees who were working with AP utilities but had voluntarily opted to work for Telangana utilities owing to special conditions.

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