As the last of truck loads of furniture and stationery were being packed in the AP Secretariat as the departments moved their belongings to Velagapudi on Saturday, the blocks presented a deserted look.
The buzz related to an active premises was missing as the staff too kept away availing special leave to move to the interim Secretariat which will work full-fledged from October 3.
The dominant sentiment among the employees moving out of their comfort zone is that it would be better to move to their own State and spend there and help boost its economy.
Boost economy
A section officer of Finance department explains: “Our government spends close to Rs.200 crore to Rs.300 crore a month on the salary of employees of Secretariat, heads of departments and corporations. The employees had been spending their salaries in Hyderabad contributing to annual tax revenue of the Telangana State. Now employees will make most of their transactions in Andhra Pradesh and pay taxes there.”
The opinion is seconded by his colleagues. A senior employee about to retire in nine months said that it makes sense to take administration closer to people even if it causes inconvenience to employees’ families initially.
Women employees, some of who had put in 25 years of services and with families settled here, said they were moving alone to Velagapudi. Making light of the discomfort of leaving their families behind, they said they were reminded of their initial years when they lived alone. The government has provided free and shared accommodation for six months to about 200 women employees who requested it. “Many women employees will shift their families at the end of the academic year or as and when their adult children complete their professional courses,” a woman employee said.
High taxes
Another employee pointed out that the Telangana government had been charging 14.5 per cent VAT on all purchases made by the AP Government for its establishment here while for its own government the vendors were asked to charge only 5 per cent VAT. In other words, AP government was treated like any private commercial enterprise though Hyderabad is the common capital for both the States. The flaw has gone unchallenged, he said.
But, those who were really in despair over the shifting of AP Secretariat are about 80 Class IV employees hailing from Telangana but allotted to Andhra Pradesh. “We have been waiting for the last two years for the Telangana government to take us back as promised. How can we live and work in Andhra alone while our families and relatives are here,” lamented an attender.
