T-native staff ‘leave’ AP after joining duty

Staffers say they can’t afford to live in Amaravati

Submit joining report at Amaravati and immediately apply for leave. This is the strategy being adopted by Telangana native employees allotted to AP.

With the process of shifting of AP Secretariat, HoDs and employees from Hyderabad to Amaravati under way, over 300 T-native employees allotted to AP Secretariat, who have been working in Hyderabad, are refusing to move and exploring ways to avoid working in AP.

Meanwhile, TS employee unions are exerting pressure on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to hold talks with his AP counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu to facilitate the return of all Tnative staff allotted to AP.

Employees are hopeful that TS govern- ment would sort out the issue in a month or two, and believe that they could “manage” the issue by taking leave till then and staying on in Hyderabad.

Around 850 T-native staff has been allotted to AP. Almost all, barring a few, are Class III and Class IV employees.

Employees have 30 casual leaves, 15 earned leaves and 5 optional holidays per year. They are planning to avail these leaves to avoid shifting to AP as far as possible. Some plan to avail leaves on medical grounds.

The TS Chief Min- ister has promised to bring these employees back and asked official to draft a file in this regard for approval.

However, the TS government has to convince the AP government to relieve these employees.

TS employee unions have urged Mr Rao to either initiate talks with the AP CM or depute Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma to initiate talks with the AP government for the purpose.

“The CM has promised us that they will be given jobs in TS immediately if they are relieved by AP govern- ment. Efforts are being made to convince the AP government in this regard as it would be tough for employees of Class-III and Class-IV levels to migrate to another state and live with their families in Vijayawada with the salary they get. Both TS and AP Chief Ministers should allow them to work in Hyderabad on humanitarian grounds,” said A. Padma Chary, president, Telangana Udyogula Sangham.

P. Sayilu, a lift operator said, “My children are studying in Class IX and Class X. We stay in our own house in Safilguda. If I shift to Vijayawada along with my family, I have to take a rented house and admit my children in schools there. I can’t afford a rented house and school admission fee with my salary of `15,000. I have no option but to stay in Hyderabad as long as possible by availing leave.”