The APSEB Executive Engineers’ Association (AEEA) welcomed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the petition filed by Telangana power utilities against D.M. Dharmadhikari Committee’s concluding report on the allocation of electricity employees between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the aftermath of the State bifurcation.
AEEA president B. Vamsi Srinivas and general secretary N. Lakshmana Rao stated in a press release that the apex court found no merit in the objections raised by the Telangana utilities to the one-man (Dharmadhikari) committee’s concluding report dated June 20, 2020 and that it was obligatory for utilities of both the States and all others concerned to carry out and implement the directions of the panel.
Distribution of personnel
The apex court observed that the Dharmadhikari Committee was only entrusted the task of distribution of personnel between the two States.
As far as the claims regarding salaries and allowances raised through miscellaneous applications were concerned, the employees were free to get them adjudicated by an appropriate forum.
The Supreme Court also noted that power utilities of Telangana had unilaterally relieved 1,157 employees, directing them to join the respective power utilities of Andhra Pradesh.
A number of employees had filed writ petitions in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, challenging the decision of power utilities of Telangana.
At the same time, 242 employees, who were working in the A.P. power utilities got themselves relieved and joined the Telangana utilities.
Principle of nativity
The apex court, in its judgment, said that the power utilities of Telangana were motivated by principle of nativity, i.e. employees whose service records mentioned them as residents of any part of the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh were relieved.
Those belonging to the territory of the newly formed Telangana were permitted to join the utilities in that State by exercising self-option, which was challenged in the High Court.
As the dispute became intractable and the matter reached the Supreme Court, the latter had constituted the Dharmadhikari Committee.
