The process of bifurcation gains momentum; Board to meet in two weeks Hyderabad: The process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh Road Tra...
The process of bifurcation gains momentum; Board to meet in two weeks
Hyderabad: The process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has gained momentum with the appointment of an Executive Directors’ Committee on preparation of guidelines for division of staff between the two States. According to highly placed sources in the corporation, preparations are afoot to conduct the Board of Directors’ meeting within the next two weeks.
Employees of Andhra Pradesh within the corporation have on Wednesday represented to the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, J Purna Chandra Rao that the guidelines must be identical with those framed by the Kamalanathan Committee for division of State government employees. Members of the APSRTC Class-II Supervisors’ Association said that they had submitted a memorandum in this regard to the MD sometime ago, but met him again as the process had been speeded up only now. The EDs’ committee appointed by the Managing Director for drafting guidelines has not yet held its first meeting.
Sources close to the MD sought to downplay the internal differences within employees over allotment to either State. Differences over allotment exist even at the level of Executive Directors, they said. “Such differences are natural. But the APSRTC management is keen to see that the interests of 1.50 crore passengers who use RTC buses on a daily basis in the two States are not adversely affected,” sources said.
Sources said the MD wanted the bifurcation process to be a smooth affair and it had to go through several crucial stages ahead. First, the Board of Directors’ meeting will have to approve the division of staff as also the division of assets and liabilities. It will then go the Sheila Bhide Committee, which has the task of dividing Schedule IX and X institutions between the two States.
The Sheila Bhide committee's recommendations will then be vetted by the Chief Ministers of the two States after they reach the Principal Secretaries of Transport, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The two governments will then submit the final scheme of bifurcation to the Centre. And the decision and announcement of bifurcation of the APSRTC will be made by the Centre.
