By: B Krishna Prasad
HYDERABAD: Though Andhra Pradesh will be formally divided on June 2, the Appointed Day for Telangana, the division of governance is scheduled a week before. Governor ESL Narasimhan has decided that the Telangana and residuary AP governments will start functioning from May 26 so that the transformation on June 2 becomes a smooth affair.
The governor has instructed senior officers to depute junior-level staff to start working from May 26. From that day, grievances of Telangana people will be recorded in Telangana offices and money remitted in the region will be credited into its account.
To facilitate this, finance secretary L Premchandra Reddy will open an account for Telangana with the Reserve Bank of India on May 17. The governor has also directed the finance department to credit salary for one day, June 1, in the accounts of employees by May 24 along with the salary for the month of May. Barring June 1, the salary for June will be paid at the end of the month by the respective state government. The pensioners too, will get their pension for May and June 1 on May 24.
The two governments will start functioning a week early to ensure that all agreements entered into by the united AP are converted into two separate agreements and also transfer the software used for e-tenders, Mee-Seva, e-payments, treasury-bill movement and pay and accounts systems. “These systems are the life line of the government. We have made trials for the smooth transfer and the division of all these systems will take place on May 26,” said a senior official.
For division of government employees, the draft guidelines will be issued in the next two days and the staff asked to present their objections within a week. The Kamalanathan committee will make provisional allotment of employees by May 26 and they will take over the reins of governance immediately in their respective departments.
As per the final recommendations of the division committees, it was decided to continue 22 government corporations in both states. Accordingly, the first corporation for Telangana, the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, came into existence on Friday.
Similarly, the finance, industries and infrastructure, irrigation development, handloom, textile, leather and tribal corporations will come into existence next week. Cultural, literary and educational institutions for the two states have also been identified and orders to rename them for Telangana will be issued in a couple of days. The governor has also instructed the heads of departments to be in touch with leaders of political parties who are likely to form the government in both the states after the results are declared on May 16.
According to sources, Narasimhan is not amenable to the TRS plea to advance the Appointed Day from June 2 to May 16. The Union home ministry has already rejected the TRS request on the grounds that the bifurcation process has not been completed and also that advancing the appointed day would heighten confusion.
Tying up the loose ends:
* Senior officers asked to depute junior-level staff for work from May 26.
* Finance secretary to open an account for Telangana with the RBI on May 17.
* Salary for May and June 1 to be credited for govt employees on May 24.
* Software used for e-tenders, Mee-Seva, e-payments, treasury-bill movement and pay and accounts systems to be transferred by May 26.
* Kamalanathan committee to make provisional allotment of employees by same date.
* Orders for renaming of cultural, literary and educational institutions in Telangana in a couple of days.
Courtesy: The Times Of India