Andhra Pradesh Govt updates inter-State transfer details, raises concerns among Telangana employees

AP Govt updates inter-State transfer details, raising concerns among Telangana employees about promotions and service benefits.

In a development that raised concerns among the Telangana Government employees, the Andhra Pradesh Government has started updating details of the employees, including those of Andhra Pradesh nativity, for their transfer to Telangana services.

In a note issued issued recently, the neighbouring State Government has asked employees to update details of the employees who exercised their options seeking transfer to Telangana before February 9 “for onward transmission of the consolidated and updated data to the Government of Telangana for consideration and policy decision”. Telangana Government, sources said, is of the view that transfer of government employees should have to be made to the same service and to the same category post subject to the fact that such transfer should not affect the promotion chances/service benefits of others already working, and also availability of posts in the same service.

However, the proposal of the neighbouring State to consider exchange of employees amounts to transfer across different services [departments] and it would lead to innumerable problems in service conditions of these employees and could result in litigation in the courts.

A similar proposal from the Andhra Pradesh Government in the past was not considered as the neighbouring State sought transfer of 1,241 Andhra Pradesh local employees — of whom several were found to be holding higher category posts like additional commissioner (commercial taxes), additional IG (Registration), joint commissioner (Excise), special grade deputy collector and commandant (SPF). “The proposal of Andhra Pradesh, if accepted, will have serious impact not only on the promotional avenues of the Telangana employees but also effect the recruitment chances of Telangana locals,” an official said.

The Government had accordingly set aside the previous proposalfor exchange of (1,808) employees from Andhra Pradesh to Telangana and 1,368 employees vice-versa claiming that it is not practically possible and against the spirit of formation of separate Telangana State.

It may be recalled that the Telangana Government accommodated local employees posted to Andhra Pradesh over and above the 42% bifurcation ratio utilising vacant and equal cadre posts after the allocations were made by the Kamalanathan Committee post bifurcation of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh. Accordingly, from 2020 to 2022, more than 70% of employees of last grade services were taken back to Telangana and the State Government had decided to take back 698 more Telangana local employees even after the completion of the final allocation of whom 603 were accommodated in the State.