The issue of the division of State Government employees between Telangana and residuary State of Andhra Pradesh is threatening to snowball into a major controversy with both the sides stiffening their stands.
Even as the issue of nativity of the State Secretariat employees continues to boil, Chief Minister-designate of Telangana State K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday made it clear that only employees born in Telangana will be accepted as Telangana employees and those from Andhra will have to work in Seemandhra.
As all attention was focused on the allotment of employees to the two States, KCR held a crucial meeting with the leaders of Telangana Government employees’ unions and associations and assured them that no injustice will be allowed.
On a day, when State Chief Secretary PK Mohanty met both the Chief Ministers-designate KCR and N Chandrababu Naidu to discuss various issues, KCR adopted a tough stand,” Andhra employees will not be allowed to work in Secretariat. Even if Andhra employees are forced upon us, they will be sent back,” he said.
He brushed aside the reports in the local media regarding the division of the employees, he said that the Central Government would have a say only in the allocation of the All India services officers. “Only file regarding the division of the all India services officials was sent to Delhi for approval. As Manmohan Singh did not sign the file, the new Prime Minister after taking oath on May 26 will sign the file,” he said. Initially 10 to 15 IAS and IPS officers will be allotted to the two States. “On the other matters the two Governments will have to sit together and take a decision. This was informed by Mohanty,” KCR said.
KCR said that while the people of Telangana had kept quiet when lakhs of their jobs were taken away and remained patient, now no injustice will be tolerated.
“After the State has been divided, if any attempt is made to curtail our freedom, we will not tolerate or bear it. States are different but the country is one. We wish you all the best and want to do well ourselves. Both of us will have own Secretariat. If we have to fight unnecessarily it will be a waste time for us,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the leaders of Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers' Union, Telangana Gazetted Officers' Union, teachers and doctors unions and the class IV employees union among others.
KCR announced a special increment to all the Telangana employees as a mark of celebration for achieving separate State. He said equal opportunities will be provided to all the employees and there will not be any contract employee in the State. For the women employees, KCR assured all the facilities including increase in the maternity leave period.
The leaders were agitated over the latest development of a Telangana employees' union president C Vitthal's name figuring in the list of Secretariat employees allotted to Seemandhra. “This is an act of vendetta against me as I had led the employees struggle for Telangana State.” he said.
Vitthal is senior assistant in the Intermediate Education department. “If this is the fate of a Telangana movement leader, what can happen to the ordinary employees,” he said.