HYDERABAD: In a major development, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the power utilities of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to implement the directions of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee report regarding distribution of personnel between the two States. The Apex Court clarified that the allocation completed by the committee cannot be challenged by any employee or officer or any utility before any forum.
Disposing of the batch of petitions filed separately by Telangana Engineers and Accounts Officers Associations and others against the final report of Dharmadhikari Committee, the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice MR Shah said that the employees of power utilities are free to adjudicate their claims regarding salary and allowances before appropriate forum in accordance with law.
“We find no merit in the objections to one-man committee’s concluding report dated June 20, 2020 and it is obligatory for power utilities of both the States and all concerned to carry out and implement the directions of the one-man committee report,” the bench ruled. Further, the Apex Court bench made it clear that the one-man committee was entrusted only with distribution of personnel between the two States and distribution has been finalised by the committee.
As for the allocation made by the committee, no objection or challenge by any employee or officer will be entertained, it noted. As for the objection raised by the applicants on selection of 584 employees, the bench said it did not see reason to take any different view. Besides accepting the reasons given by sub-committee member of AP, the committee also took into consideration other modalities before finalising the list of 584, it added.
During the course of hearing earlier, the counsel appearing for Telangana told the court that 584 AP employees, who are not related to the dispute, have been allocated to Telangana after submission of final report by the one-man committee. In spite of huge power generation, population and area in AP, surplus employees have been allocated to Telangana, he added and urged the court to reject the final report of the one-man committee.
The counsel appearing for the employees relieved by AP power utilities alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government has relieved the said employees and allocated them to Telangana illegally though they were born and brought up in AP and the utilities have stopped payment of salaries.
