Govt employees can chose between Telangana or Andhra, Hyderabad HC's major ruling

In a major ruling, the Hyderabad High Court stated on Saturday that employees of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh could chose if they wanted to work for Telangana or new Andhra Pradesh govt.

The court cited provisions in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which laid down several rules and norms to be followed during the bifurcation of the state.

The HC was listening to two petitions by engineers, both of whom had opted for Telangana during bifurcation, and were granted their request by the Centre.

TNIE reported that some engineers were aggrieved by the allocation of Andhra natives to the Telangana government, and appealed to the AP Administrative Tribunal, which set aside their allocation to Telangana.

However, the petitioners challenged the tribunal’s order, which set aside their repatriation from Kurnool in Andhra, to Telangana in 2007, and intended to send them back to Andhra, the Deccan Chronicle reported. 

The reports added that the HC upheld their allocation to Telangana, and faulted the tribunal for not looking into the situation under which they were allocated to the new state. 

At present, both the states have been discussing the issues related to division of employees, among other things.

The last meeting was held in the last week of March, following which Telangana government's Advisor G Vivekanand told reporters that they decided to hold another round of talks on April 17.

Andhra Pradesh's Labour Minister K Atchan Naidu said they discussed division of teachers, police personnel and employees of electricity department but did not come to a conclusion.

On handing over the buildings of Andhra Pradesh Secretariat and legislature to Telangana, he said a decision in this regard would be taken after consultation with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The two states have had differences over various issues, including sharing of electricity and water and division of institutions listed in the 9th and 10th Schedules of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and also the High Court.

Last month, a group of 238 employees from Telangana, who are discharging their duties from the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat in Amaravati, had also submitted a memorandum to Atchan Naidu, that he should take initiative for sending them to the Telangana Secretariat.

IANS Inputs