SC asks Andhra and Telangana to implement justice Dharmadhikari Committee report

The Telangana based associations had petitioned the court that about 584 Andhra Pradesh employees were illegally allocated to Telangana.
Supreme court of India
Supreme court of India
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The Supreme Court on Monday directed both power utilities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to implement the justice Dharmadhikari Committee report. The final report that deals with the allocation of employees was contested in the High Court and later the Supreme Court by Telangana engineers and accounts officers associations.

The report is regarding the distribution of personnel between the two states. Telangana based associations had petitioned the court that about 584 Andhra Pradesh employees not related to the dispute have been allocated to Telangana after the final report came out.

The bench comprising Justice Ashok Bushan and Justice MR Shah said the allocation made by the committee can’t be challenged by any employee or officer or any utility before any forum. The court disposed of the batch petitions filed separately by the associations.

The court also said that employees of the power utilities are free to adjudicate their claims regarding salary and allowances before appropriate forum as per the law, reported The New Indian Express. The court pointed out that the committee was entrusted to only find a solution with the distribution of personnel between the two states.

The committee report divides the services of 1157 employees among the two Telugu states that bifurcated in 2014. The committee allocated 613 personnel to AP and 502 to Telangana based on options exercised by the officers themselves. Another 42 employees who did not give any preferences were allocated to AP, based on their service records. About 242 employees who were relieved from duty in AP and another 256 persons who expressed interest to work in Telangana were also allocated to the state by the committee, reported The Hindu.

Resistance came from Telangana employees who are of the view that the transfer of additional 584 employees would hamper their chances of promotions and perks.

Earlier this year in July the Andhra Pradesh government went ahead and implemented the committee report in the state by issuing posting orders, reported Times of India.

The Telangana State Power Engineers Association (TSPEA), one of the petitioners in the SC had said the committee report was unacceptable to them under any circumstances. The association had earlier claimed that if the power utilities in Telangana accept employees from AP, they will obstruct such employees from joining duties.

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