State-level exchange of employees still hangs fire

Imbalance in posts, personnel remains unresolved even after three years

The wait of the State-level employees who are native of Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, but allotted to the other Telugu State and have been representing to both the State governments for exchange of employees between the two States continues even after three years.

The State Advisory Committee headed by Kamalnathan allotted 55,870 State cadre employees between the two States under the guidelines approved by the Centre under the provisions of State Reorganisation Act, 2014. Of them 31,611 were allotted to AP and 24,259 were allotted to Telangana State. The Kamalnathan Committee asked the employees to give their option to choose a State of their choice based on their local candidate status with proof. But not everyone could be accommodated as per their choice given the imbalance in the number of posts and personnel after bifurcation. That was how 888 local candidates of Telangana - Gazetted category- 13, Non-Gazetted- 240 and Last Grade employees- 635- who opted for Telangana had to be allotted to AP.

Similarly, 182 local candidates of AP - Gazetted category-117, NGO- 61 and Last Grade- 4- who opted for AP were allotted to Telangana. There had been persistent demand from the Telangana native employees allotted to AP, particularly 635 class IV employees comprising attenders, drivers etc., who had to leave Hyderabad after AP Secretariat moved to Velagapudi last year for repatriation. These employees who left their families behind and were banking on Telangana Chief Minister’s promise that they would all be brought back in due course, by creating supernumerary posts if needed. In the meeting convened by the Governor few months back, Telangana said it would exchange equal number of employees with AP government. That means only 182 employees could be exchanged if they agree to terms and conditions of foregoing their seniority etc.

Andhra Pradesh government constituted a committee to give guidelines for exchange of State cadre employees. It agreed to take back all the 61 non-gazetted officers and four last grade employees presently working with Telangana government subject to the condition that they take last rank in that category.

However, in the gazetted category, 117 officers of AP were allotted to Telangana for want of vacancies and there were only 13 local candidates of Telangana allotted to AP. Since only 13 officers are to be exchanged out of 117 officers, the committee adopted certain criteria, that the eldest in age would be given priority apart from willingness to forego seniority in the exchange.

The AP government asked TS to constitute committees at its end to facilitate exchange of NGOs and last grade employees since more Telangana employees wanted exchange. If the Telangana government responds, then at least 182 Telangana native employees working in Andhra could hope to come back to their own State. For the rest of 700 plus Telangana employees, for now, things hang in balance.