By: J R Janumpalli
The division of employees between the two states of Telangana and A.P. has now become a major controversy. The state of Andhra Pradesh was formed with certain specific conditions. In that the ‘mulki rules’ in employment was one of the major safeguards. But this was the rule which was most violated and had escalated in to 1969 Telangana agitation. At that time it was estimated that 25000 Telangana jobs were usurped by Andhras. The Government issued G.O.No.36 to repatriate the illegal job holders. The illegals went to court. Supreme Court upheld ‘mulki rules’ and averred that the impugned rules are the fundamental right of Telangana people.
The Andhras, however, did not digest it. The result of it was ‘Jai Andhra’ agitation. They demanded either scrapping of the judgment of Supreme Court and other safeguards, or bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India yielded to the pressure, and abrogated ‘mulki rules’ besides scrapping several safeguards by an act of Parliament. All irregular appointments were regularized, depriving local candidates of their rightful claim over those jobs. Then, a six-point formula, a severely diluted form of safeguards was foisted on Telangana people.
Even this formula had been violated with impunity. Between 1973 and 1985 it is found that at least fifty nine thousand andhras were appointed in to Telangana jobs in the region. The people of the region once again became restive and the government was compelled to issue G.O. 610 to rectify the situation —- to repatriate all non-local candidates illegally appointed in the Telangana region to their native zones and appoint local candidates in the resultant vacancies. The process was to be completed by the end of March 1986. But, it did not happen. The illegal appointments continued.
Now in the state division, it has become inevitable to take cognizance of that. For, there are thousands of seemandhra employees in Telangana cadre. They had appropriated Telangana jobs with false nativity certificates. They had grabbed more jobs in the open category, as if it was a reservation for andhras via notorious APPSC. They have also brought in more number of andhras by way of deputations and supernumerary posts in to the cadre. Thus it has created an incongruous situation where in thousands of Andhra employees will be left in Telangana jobs in Telangana state.
It is learnt that Kamalanathan committee is perplexed with the complexity of the recruitment in the state and the existing rules for Zonal, multi-zonal, State Cadre, deputations and supernumerary postings. The committee is anticipating a major problem with employee unions as many of the deputations and supernumerary posts are actually created without obtaining government permission. Similarly many posts were upgraded without proper order from the government. Many cadre posts were created just to keep one or two officers in Hyderabad city. There was no uniformity in the rules followed to create state cadre posts. Many complex issues need to be resolved. The recruitment system that was followed to create all those posts is not authentic and cannot stand legal scrutiny. As if it is not enough, the andhra officials at the helm assisting the committee are now trying to queer the guidelines in favor of seemandhra employees. The residuary A.P.government also playing politics in it.
Hence, the exercise of options alone is not appropriate here. Every employee in Telangana State has to be verified as to the legitimacy of the appointment based on nativity. The back log of the repatriation as per GO 610, the new appointments, deputations and the super numerary posts created are to be reviewed. The Andhra employees who are in Telangana jobs are to be identified and allotted to seemandhra. The use of option in the earlier new states was a different proposition. Because, those states were formed, either by dividing the original states or merging parts of some states. There, the options were natural and worked well. Here the two states merged earlier are demerged. There is a 6-point formula under 371-D and its violation to contend with.
Andhra employees had enjoyed Telangana jobs illegally for years in the United State. Now their remaining in Telangana by way of option, asking to pay their salaries and pensions by Telangana State appears absurd. Telangana government and employees feel that, the Andhra dominated administration has promoted this anarchy in the united state all along. Now it is their responsibility to take them in to Andhra state or allow them to face prosecution.
Therefore, making guidelines for division of employees based on precedents, without taking in to account the unusual situation in Telangana, will be erroneous. The Central government as adjudicator needs to take an unbiased look at it and formulate guidelines based on the peculiar circumstances obtained in Telangana State.