The fate of 84 employees of power utilities of Andhra Pradesh allotted to Telangana hangs in balance as they have not been taken into services almost three years after their allotment.
These employees are among the 512 allotted to Telangana by the one man committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari but are yet to be taken into service by the Telangana power utilities. As a result, these employees are not being paid salaries for several months now resulting in financial hardships to their families. These employees are unable to avail of benefits offered by the government, including the medical cover.
They are lamenting that even employees who are suspended on charges of irregularities are given 50 % of salary as subsistence allowance but that was not the case with them. The Telangana officials however claimed that they have gone according to the report of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee.
“They are not eligible to be absorbed going by the Dharmadhikari report,” a senior official said. Though they have been relieved from Andhra Pradesh and technically joined Telangana, they are considered as employees of the neighbouring State and it is the responsibility of the AP government to take care of them till the issue is finalised.
“Their condition is miserable. We too sympathise with them. But their responsibility lies with Andhra Pradesh till the Supreme Court delivers its judgment on the matter,” the official told The Hindu claiming that they would wait for the final outcome of the petition filed in the Supreme Court on the matter before taking a final decision.
