Spouse trouble hits staff split in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: The bifurcation of staff between Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh on “spouse grounds” is snowballing into a controversy. TS employees associations have complained to the Centre’s department of personnel and training that nearly 18 per cent of AP-origin women staff have made it to TS on the ground that their spouse was working in the state, and demanded an inquiry.

The associations said that as per norms to secure a posting on spouse grounds, either the husband or the wife should be of Telangana state origin. The Kamalnathan committee had given posting in TS though the couple hails from AP.

While the deadline for the Kamalnathan committee to divide the staff between the two states expired on August 31, the Centre is likely to extend its tenure by three months.

The Centre had appointed the committee in 2014 to bifurcate 76,339 state-cadre staff between TS and AP. Its tenure has been extended thrice till August 31, 2016 but the committee has failed to complete bifurcation so far.

Though 76,339 was the cadre strength, it was found that 57,167 were working due to vacancies on account of retirements. Of them, the panel has completed the division of 44,534 so far. The allotment of 12,216 staff has been stuck in disputes with employees lodging complaints with the Centre alleging faulty allocation.

The panel made tentative allocation of 24,329 staff and final allocation of 16,891 staff to TS. The final allotment of 2,651 women staff to TS and 1,963 women staff to AP triggered a controversy.

“There were 23 per cent women employees in Undivided AP cadre. Of them, 18 per cent were allocated to TS, mostly on spouse grounds. As per norms, either the husband or the wife should be a Telangana native to secure a posting in TS. The committee has allotted both husband and wife to TS, though both hail from AP,” alleged Mr A. Padma Chary, president, TS Gazetted Officers' Association.