Telangana State power staff quit Andhra Pradesh utilities

Hyderabad: About 250 employees belonging to Telangana working with Andhra Pradesh power utilities have taken self-relieving letters even as the issue is pending before the Justice M Dharmadhikari Committee.

The employees have been allocated to Andhra Pradesh on the basis of ‘Order to Serve’ during the bifurcation of the State. Ever since the State was bifurcated, employees from Telangana working in Andhra Pradesh power utilities have been demanding that they be relieved from their duties so that they can serve their own State. However, the AP power utilities did not consider their demand for a long time.

The Telangana employees held series of protests till August 31 and had even threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike. In a dramatic turn, they have taken self-relieving letters from the AP management. Employees’ Association leader Amar Singh said in May this year, the Telangana employees were assured that they would be absorbed by Telangana power utilities within two months of getting relieved from Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana government also wrote a letter to the effect to the AP power utilities. The employees will not get salaries from the Andhra Pradesh power utilities from now on. The Neither Telangana power utilities will pay salaries since they have not yet been absorbed by them.

The Electricity Employees JAC leader K Sivaji said as per the AP Reorganisation Act, the distribution of employees should have been completed within one year but it was still pending. He said it was unfortunate that the electricity employees were still fighting for their rights even two years after the formation of Telangana State. Telangana Electricity JAC coordinator C Raghu said if Telangana government agreed to accept the employees, there would not be any legal issues.