Draft guidelines for staff distribution notified

The much-awaited Kamalnathan Committee’s draft guidelines for distribution of State-level employees between the successor States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were notified and uploaded in the State government websites on Friday.

The committee, comprising Chairman C.R. Kamalnathan and members -- Chief Secretaries of both the States, I.Y.R.Krishna Rao and Rajiv Sharma, Telangana Finance Secretary V. Nagi Reddy, Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, GoI Archana Varma and Member Secretary P.V. Ramesh, met in Delhi and finally approved the draft guidelines.

The broad distribution of employees will be on the basis of options given by the employees and the ‘local candidates’ relatable to the State to which they have opted, will be considered in order of seniority for allocation first.

The local candidature will be as defined under the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment Order, 1975 and entered in the service record or certified by the competent authority, with strict reference to the school records.

However exceptions to the general principle will be cases of extreme personal hardship such as widowed, divorced women, handicapped persons, and serious medical ailments. Their cases will be considered for allotment on special grounds on priority on the basis of option, subject to strict proof of verification, the committee said. Spouses will be allotted as far as possible to the same State after considering options made by them. But no priority has been given in options for those close to retirement.

However giving an indication of flexibility, the committee noted that the actual allocation of personnel to States will be guided by the public interest and administrative needs of the posts in the States.

It also noted that the posts created subsequent to the appointed day by either of the State governments will be reckoned, if so desired by that State, for the purposes of final allotment of State services employees.

Finally notwithstanding the guidelines, the advisory committee would be at liberty to consider any principle, factor which may become crucial in deciding the allocation of employees to the success States subject to approval of the Centre.

Suggestions invited

The advisory committee in its notification said the employees after going through the guidelines could offer their suggestions in writing on or before August 5 in a sealed cover to the Principal Secretary, General Administration (SR) Department, Andhra Pradesh, H Block, North, Secretariat.

These suggestions will be considered before framing the final guidelines for submission to the Union Government for approval, it said.