VIJAYAWADA: Drawing the curtains on the six-year-long tussle between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Andhra Pradesh Energy Department has relieved 655 employees, as per the Supreme Court one-man committee of Justice DM Dharmadhikari, to join Telangana power utilities.
With the supplementary report, dated March 11, to the final report dated December 26, 2019, ‘favouring Andhra Pradesh’s stand and as per law’, the officials completed the process.
“We have relieved 655 employees on March 14 to join Telangana power utilities. While 71 were special category cases such as spouse basis, medical and other personal grounds, the other 584 were identified rank to rank,” a senior official said. Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (APTRANSCO) joint managing director KVN Chakradhar Babu, entrusted with the responsibility of presenting the case before the one-man committee, oversaw that the proceedings were completed smoothly. The 71 employees sought allocations based on personal grounds and the Telangana power utilities had given in writing that they would be absorbed.
For the record, even though the Supreme Court-appointed committee gave its final report in December 26 last, the State power utilities moved the apex court arguing the allocations were unilateral and would burden the exchequer by `6,500 crore. While Telangana power companies relieved employees, the State had not accepted them as they moved the Supreme Court.
Disposing of the application, the apex court referred the matter once again to the commission, which held a day-long hearing on February 23 during which Chakradhar Babu put forth the State’s contentions. Following this, the committee issued supplementary orders on March 11 favourably considering Andhra Pradesh’s arguments. As per the order, “The employees allocated to and relieved will be allowed to join the company of a State in which they are allocated, even if the orders of individual postings to a particular location are delayed for some cogent reason by the company.”
Subsequently, on March 12, the Telangana power utilities sought certain clarifications regarding the allocations and the commission replied to the same the following day.“This marks the end of the tussle between both Telugu-speaking States without any financial loss to Andhra Pradesh as the report had attained finality and that it would have to be implemented as an order of the SC,” the official explained.