In the wake of the 43 per cent fitment announced by the Andhra Pradesh Government, the APNGOs Association leaders are happy and ready to extend full cooperation in all aspects, especially, in the process of shifting to the new capital region in Guntur District.

However, the issue of their residential accommodation has become a big problem under the existing circumstances. Government accommodation has to be provided to as many as 15,000 employees ranging from a Class IV employee to senior officials in the Secretariat. Others in the Legislative Assembly and the High Court which are currently functioning in Hyderabad, also need to be provided accommodation. Hyderabad ceases to be the capital of AP after 10 yeas in the wake of creation of separate Telangana state.

The APNGOs leaders asserted that they remained committed to extending all cooperation in shifting the capital in a phased manner, but the accommodation remains the core issue. They held discussions at various levels including the Chief Secretary recently.

“We have made a proposal to the Government. The HUDCO, State Bank of India and other banks can be asked to develop multi-storeyed residential structures in the capital region. The employees’ HRA could be adjusted towards the accommodation provided here,” said APNGOs Association president P. Ashok Babu.

The construction of such vertical structures and the creation of nearly 15,000 residential units closer to the core capital region is being expected to have the potential to create huge potential for future growth and expansion. “Though there are certain problems in shifting to new capital, the employees are ready to overcome the same. They are ready to put in extra hours of work for the cause of the newly created AP,” said Mr. Ashok Babu.

Some problems could crop for the couples working in Hyderabad and for those, who sold their property in AP and were settled in the Telangana capital region. In such cases, time should be given to them till 2019 to plan for their future, he said.

Another issue that required immediate attention of the government was with regard to the local candidate status. Going by the five years norm, the children of A.P. employees currently working Hyderabad would be treated as non-local in the new capital if they were to be shifted in the next few years. This should be solved by the government by taking a positive look at it, the APNGOs leaders said.