Flowerpots to split offices

Hyderabad: The bifurcation of the Secretariat to accommodate both the Telangana and Seemandhra governments from June 2 has began with the demolition of a kindergarten school, meant for the kids of the employees, on Thursday. The school, Vidhyarjana Kindergarten School, has been demolished to make way for the Telangana CM and T-employees to enter C-Block directly. The school has been shifted to a room behind B-block. The block was used as a store by the GAD, and is now being vacated to accommodate the kind-ergarten school.

It was also decided to use flowerpots to divide Telangana and AP blocks, although earlier there was a proposal to use barbed wire. Officials felt that there was no need for fencing as there is no tension between Telangana and Seemandhra employees now. The existing main entrance would be utilised for the Andhra Pradesh CM and Seemandhra employees. Renovation works have also started in the H-block to set up an office for the CM of AP.

A separate entrance is being readied for the Telangana CM near NTR Gardens. YSR had constructed a helipad on a 2-acre site on the Secretariat premises at a cost of '1 crore in June 2005. However, after YSR’s death the helipad was lying unused. The gate of the helipad towards NTR Gardens will now be used as an entrance for the Telangana CM.

A separate road is being laid from the helipad along the kindergarten to the Secretariat. Since, the school was blocking the way, it was demolished.
Officials have stepped up measures to complete bifurcation of the Secretariat by May 15 to enable both the new governments to take charge from June 2.

For administrative convenience A, B, C and D blocks built on one side have been allotted to Telangana, while H, J, L and K blocks built on the other side have been given to AP.

Interestingly, the roads and buildings department, which is taking up renovation works, took adequate precautions to ensure that all the changes being made are ‘vastu compliant.’ They consulted vastu experts and took suggestions before taking up works to ensure that no problems arose in future.

Accordingly, the new entrance for the Telangana CM is being built on the north, which is considered auspicious. However, the changes being made at the Secretariat has not gone down well with T-employee associations.

"There is no point in making drastic changes in the Secretariat to accommodate the AP government by spending a huge amount. The Secretariat will serve as common headquarters for both Telangana and Seemandhra only for a limited period. Though a 10-year deadline has been prescribed for the purpose, leaders like Naidu and Jagan, who are said to be potential CM candidates for AP are already making statements that they will not run the government from Hyderabad for 10 years and will start building their own capital and Secretariat at the earliest," said Mr P. Madhusudhan Reddy of the T-employees association.
 

No headway in staff division between Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

As the June 2 deadline for bifurcation of the state nears, there is no headway in redistributing employees between Telangana and Seemandhra, which is feared to pose severe administrative problems for both the new governments which take over reins after June 2.

So far officials have failed to gather even primary data from the about 30 departments regarding the number of posts available, employees working and existing vacancies.

Despite repeated reminders, the heads of departments have failed to furnish data citing reasons like “busy with election duties.”

Both the governments can take up fresh recruitments only if there is clarity on the number of vacancies available after bifurcation of the state.

The finance department is concerned over the negligence of departments in furnishing employee data even after issuing notices that payment of salaries will be stopped.

Organisations like the AP Public Service Commission, the Tungabhadra Board and Roads and Buildings have failed to furnish details of even a single employee so far.

With polling in the T-region over and officials and staff relieved from election duties, the finance department has decided to conduct review meetings with all departments to speed up the division of employees.

Though only state-cadre posts will be divided between the two states, the finance department has sought the details of zonal-cadre and district-cadre posts to assess the actual position regarding the number of sanctioned posts, number of employees working and the number of posts lying vacant to enable both the new governments to take up the filling of posts accordingly. It has even sought the details of contract and outsourced staff working in various departments.

While there are 83,324 posts in the women and child welfare department, the details of only 858 employees have been submitted so far.

Similarly in the tribal welfare department, out of 12,997 posts, details of only 177 posts are known. The situation is the same in nearly 30 departments.