V. V. Balakrishna Journalist

Saturday, 10 May 2014

New CMs Face 16-day Wait for Swearing-in

Elections are over in the State and the counting will take place on May 16, but the chief ministers have to wait for 16 more days for the swearing-in.
This is because the Appointed Day is June 2 and the chief ministers of the two successor states will have to wait till that day. They can take the oath of office only on or after June 2, official sources said.
“If both they consider June 2 as an auspicious day, they can be sworn-in on that day, or any other day convenient to them after June 2,” sources said.
It may be recalled that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) moved the High Court to advance the Appointed Day from June 2 to May 16. With the results scheduled to be announced on May 16, the new government could be in place any day after May 16 if the Appointed Day is advanced. This is the contention of the TRS. However, the High Court wanted the petitioners--TRS leaders--to consult the Central government in this matter.
However, the possibility of advancing the Appointed Day appears bleak, sources said. This is because the division work will continue till May 25, as per the latest schedule announced by the State government.
Though, Governor ESL Narasimhan set May 15 as the deadline for completing the work, the Central government has to issue orders dividing the State cadre employees and All India Services officers.
Without completing the division work, the Centre may not advance the Appointed Day. “We have decided to consult the chief ministers-designate on any division related work. Once, the election results are announced on May 16, we will know that which party will form the government in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and who will be the chief ministers. We will consult and take their advice. There will be no problem,” an official involved with the State reorganisation work told Express.
Even, the Central government is likely to consult the chief ministers-designate of both AP and Telangana with regard to appointment of new DGPs and chief secretaries. Even if the Centre decides to advance the Appointed Day, it could still get delayed as the the new prime minister has to assume office and decide policy matters, sources added.
The Consolidated Fund of Telangana and AP will come into existence from the midnight of June 1. So, the advancement of Appointed Day may not be possible, sources added.
“We will see how the Centre reacts to the representation by TRS to advance the appointed day,” sources added.

Govt Staff Have to Wait for Revised Pay

The state government employees will have to wait till the chief ministers of successor states of AP and Telangana assume their offices to get the revised pay scales under the 10th Pay Revision Commission (PRC).
The final report of the 10th PRC will be submitted to the state government by the end of this month. The state government officials will take the copies of the report and serve one copy each to the respective governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The officials will make available two copies of the one report being submitted by the PRC chairman PK Agarwal. “The respective chief ministers of AP and Telangana will take a final decision on implementing the PRC based on their financial position of their respective states,” an official of the finance department told Express.
It means that the government employees in Telangana may get good pay, while the residuary AP staff may not good pay scales. Because, Telangana will be a surplus state and the residuary state of AP will start with a revenue deficit of `15,000 crore. Whether the new chief minister of residuary AP state will implement the PRC report or not remains to be seen.

Assembly, Council Halls to Be Divided between Two States

The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council halls will be divided and they will be kept ready for the successor states by May 20.
This was decided at a review meeting on the division of the state that governor ESL Narasimhan held with the top officers concerned at the Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday. He directed the officers to personally monitor the progress of the works related to the allotment and upkeep of the chambers meant for the elected governments.
He also instructed the Legislative Secretary S Raja Sadaram to take appropriate steps to keep ready the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council halls and complete the civil works by May 20. The officers presented the physical assets (buildings) allocation, space allocation
for different departments in the Secretariat, reorganisation of police buildings, to be effected in the wake of division of the state. The governor accepted all the proposals made by different committees constituted in the wake of AP Reorganisation Act 2014 and asked chief secretary PK Mohanty to submit them to the Centre. He also advised the CS and other senior officers to prepare a list of issues to be presented before the Union home secretary who was likely to visit Hyderabad in the second week of May.
Principal secretary Pradeep Chandra presented a report on the measures to be adopted for the progress and development of successor states under the Schedule 13 and Section 93 of AP Reorganisation Act 2014. The Schedule 13 details the measures to be taken on the Education front and the Infrastructure proposals concern the 12 new infrastructure projects.
Principal secretary B Sam Bob briefed the governor on the allotment of buildings at the Secretariat and said that minimum dislocation from the existing premises was followed in allotment of buildings to various heads of department in the Secretariat.
As many as 179 departments were located in Hyderabad, he explained. Sam Bob told governor that the A, B, C and D blocks in the Secretariat would be allotted to the Telengana state and the H, K and L blocks to the Residuary AP state. After examining various alternatives, the security wing has proposed Lake View guest house to be earmarked as the AP CM’s camp office. Similarly, the committee has proposed to convert the Jubilee Hall as the Legislative Council of the Residuary AP state.
June 1 Pay to be Paid on May 24
Hyderabad: The state government employees will get June 1 salary in May itself. Normally, June salary will be paid in July. However, June 1 salary will be credited in the accounts of government employees on May 24 itself. It may be recalled that the state government had already decided to pay the salary for the month of May on May 24 itself. However, the state government on Tuesday decided that apart from May month’s salary, one day salary of June will also be paid on May 24. This is because, as two separate states will start functioning from June 2, the one day salary of June 1 would be clubbed with May.

Unused Govt Funds Locked up in Bank as FDs Worry Finance Dept

V V Balakrishna - HYDERABAD

Published: 07th May 2014 08:42 AM

Last Updated: 07th May 2014 08:43 AM

With the appointed date (June 2) for the bifurcation of the state fast approaching, the finance department is worried about the unspent amounts sanctioned to various departments which have been kept in fixed deposits (FDs) in various banks.
The assets and liabilities have to apportioned between the two successor states of Residuary AP and Telangana before June 2.
The finance department’s worry is mainly due to the lack of information from some officers about the small amounts kept in banks as FDs, making the apportionment of funds a major task. The state government has ordered all the drawing and disbursing officers to remit the undisbursed amounts in their accounts, if any, to their respective departmental receipt head of account and furnish NIL balance reports to the concerned officer.
Despite this, it has come to the notice of the government that certain departments are keeping unutilised funds of several schemes in banks as fixed deposits without obtaining prior permission from the government.
In respect of land acquisition cases, some of the special deputy collectors (Land Acquisition)/revenue divisional officers are keeping huge amounts with banks as FDs for a long period, pending settlement of cases. As per the Treasury Code Volume-1, no government servant can deposit in a bank money withdrawn from the government account. But, in some cases, the officers even deposited the money in their personal accounts too.
Ahead of division of the state, the state government on Tuesday ordered the closure of all the bank/fixed deposit accounts being operated by the government departments which had been opened without special permission from the government and credit the proceeds into respective departmental receipt head of account immediately. This had to be done before May 15, chief secretary PK Mohanty directed the officers concerned on Tuesday.
The chief secretary also ordered the district collectors to ensure that deposit amounts kept by the special deputy collectors, land acquisition/ revenue divisional officers were closed and the amounts credited to the government account latest by May 15.
The officers should also furnish the compliance report to the government on a priority basis.
The finance department officials are clueless as how much amount is in bank fixed deposits in the state.

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

15 per cent Quota in University Admissions to Continue for 10 Yrs

By Express News Service - HYDERABAD

Published: 06th May 2014 08:33 AM

Last Updated: 06th May 2014 08:33 AM

The admission procedure and recruitment of staff in universities recognised as state institutions in the AP Reorganisation Act will continue as per the existing procedure for ten years. When arrangements were made for this under higher education were explained to governor ESL Narasimhan by the officials, he wanted them to forward the same to the Central government for issuing a notification.
According to official sources, students of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can get admission in any state. The 15 per cent open quota existing in the undivided state will continue for ten years.
The AP Reorganisation Act says: ‘’In order to ensure equal opportunities for quality higher education to all students in the successor states, the existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided, institutions of higher, technical and medical education in so far as it is provided under Article 371D of the Constitution, shall continue as such for a period of ten years during which the existing common admission process shall continue.’’
Accordingly, Telangana students can get admission in any AP university and vice versa under 15 per cent quota. The recruitment of staff in the universities too will be continued as per the existing formula based on population. For the recruitment of faculty, the population of three regions Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema will be taken into consideration as exists now for ten years after the Appointed Day.
The universities recognised as state institutions in the Reorganisation Act are - Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Hyderabad, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad, Sri Padmavathi Mahila University, Tirupati, Dravidian University, Kuppam, Telugu University, Hyderabad, Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, Dr YSR National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Hyderabad, Sri Pragada Kotaiah Memorial Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (SPKMIIHT), Nellore.

20 Govt Corpns will Become Two from June 2

By Express News Service - HYDERABAD

Published: 06th May 2014 08:33 AM

Last Updated: 06th May 2014 08:33 AM

As many as 20 corporations, including AP Beverages, Civil Supplies, Seed Distribution, Genco and Transco, will be divided into two with effect from June 2. The remaining corporations and organisations will be divided on priority basis after the Appointed Day. Governor ESL Narasimhan on Monday approved the recommendations of a high-level committee, which submitted proposals for the division of corporations.
It may be recalled that in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, as many 89 corporations or societies were mentioned in the ninth schedule and 107 training institutions and societies were under the 10th schedule. Some societies and training institutions serve both the successor States for some years, with the mutual agreement of both the chief ministers.
However, some corporations and societies are needed to be divided before the Appointed Day. For example, the immediate need is to divide AP Seeds Development Corporation. Immediately after the Appointed Day, the agriculture season will usher in and the priorities of both States will vary regarding distribution of seeds. Likewise, the Beverages Corporation, APSRTC, Genco and Transco need to be divided on a priority basis.
“We have identified 20 such institutions. The Governor ratified our proposals for division of those institutions,” an official attached to division work told Express.
The Governor held a review meeting with the officials on the progress of the division work at Raj Bhavan on Monday. He accepted the proposals related to Schedule 9 and Schedule 10 and directed the officials to forward them to the Central government for issuing a notification.
May 15 Deadline:
The Governor also directed the officials to complete all the formalities of State bifurcation before May 15 and keep everything ready to be placed before the elected governments. He made it clear that May 15 was the last day and that there should not be any spillover of work.
Detailing the action taken so far under Schedule 10, chief secretary PK Mohanty said the apex committee had reviewed the draft recommendations and finalised them after detailed discussions with the departments concerned by following standard operating procedures. Under Schedule 10, as many as 22 government departments were essentiall for both the States and hence should be divided, the chief secretary informed the Governor.
Special chief secretary Pradeep Chandra, presenting the recommendations of the apex committee under Schedule 9, said a total of 89 companies, corporations and societies were listed under Schedule 9. He said the committee had identified 20 undertakings for immediate reorganisation based on the services and revenue generation by the undertakings dealing with transport, electricity, housing and seed distribution.
Of the 20 corporations proposed for immediate reorganisation, four are statutory bodies, one a cooperative, one was a society and 14 were under the Companies Act. The committee recommended taking immediate steps for creating two separate entities to function from the Appointed Day.
Pradeep Chandra said statutory audit was conducted up to 2012-13 financial year and provisional audit for 2013-14 is being carried out for all these 20 units, besides joint adalats by the Accountant General and Finance department for reconciliation of loans and liabilities.
Principal secretary Ajay Mishra presented details of access to the higher education and new institutions proposed. Advisers to Governor Salauddin and AN Roy, and special chief secretaries SP Tucker, N Ramesh Kumar, PV Ramesh and Ramakrishna Rao were present.

New Security Arrangements for Andhra CM's Office

Tight security arrangements will be made this week at South H Block in the Secretariat, where the chief minister’s Office of successor Andhra Pradesh state will be located.
Intelligence Security Wing IG MM Bhagawat, along with other officials, visited the block on Monday and directed the officials concerned on the security measures to be taken. Metal detector, outpost for security personnel and other arrangements will be made before June 2.
Meanwhile, the Roads and Buildings department accorded administrative sanction for `1.71 crore for carrying out certain works for providing accommodation on the Secretariat premises for running the Secretariat offices of both the successor sates of Telangana and AP. Orders to this effect were issued by the R and B principal secretary B Sam Bob on Monday.
Two Treasuries:
After the reorganisation of the State, the treasury transactions of the Heads of Department of Telangana will be dealt with within Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad (Urban) Treasuries.
The Director of Treasuries and Accounts proposed to set up a new Headquarters Treasury with the status of the District Treasury on the premises of the Andhra Pradesh Directorate of Treasuries and Accounts for the residuary AP State. The new treasury account will handle:
■ Government receipts collected through physical mode and through cyber treasury.
■ Maintenance of PD accounts of the Heads of Department and corporations of residuary AP functioning from Hyderabad.
■ Payments of pensions, including first payments to the pensioners of residuary AP state retiring from departments and Secretariat of AP State after the appointed day. The functioning of the Andhra Pradesh Headquarters Treasury sanctioned now at Hyderabad shall cease once the State capital is shifted to a location within residuary AP, or as and when the Andhra Pradesh Director of Treasuries and Accounts, Hyderabad, is shifted to a new place in the residuary AP.
COST OF WORKS
■ Rs 59.75 lakh: Texture paint and improvements of elevation of the south side of the North H Block
■ Rs 90 lakh: Construction of ground floor for security building and compound wall near north side of proposed entrance gate
■ Rs 15.50 lakh: View cutters to South H Block (CM chamber and Cabinet hall) from old G Block
■ Rs 6.10 lakh: Tensile fabric canopy structure (portico) roof on north side of South H Block

■ Bifurcation Bonanza for Four Players ■
Hyderabad: Thanks to the division of the State, four players would get the cash incentives announced by the government two years ago. Accordingly, badminton player Saina Nehwal and shooter Gagan Narang will get Rs 50 lakh each, and world Kabaddi players Mamatha Pujari and Nagalakshmi will get `25 lakh each. It may be recalled that the then chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy announced the cash incentives to the four players in June/July 2012. But, the government did not hand over cheques to them. In the wake of the division of state, the Youth and Sports department finally cleared the file as giving a cash incentive was a commitment made by the combined state. The related file was cleared by the Finance department on Monday.