Zero Week begins in Andhra Pradesh

At the stroke of midnight on Saturday, the financial transactions and all economic activity of united Andhra Pradesh administration will stop as the committee set up by governor ESL Narasimhan for bifurcation process declared commencement of the 'Zero Week' from Sunday.

The once busy and crowded lanes and corridors of the secretariat are almost empty without any transaction of business activities.

"No GOs, no bills, etc after May 24, 3.00 pm," said a circular by the Pay and Accounts office of the GAD which had also made arrangements for payment of May salaries, one week in advance for all the 12 lakh employees and 70 lakh pensioners.

"All cheques issued by the united AP government will be accepted and paid till May 31," said a section officer of the Pay and Accounts office. However, commercial services like tax collection, etc will continue as usual, the officer said.

In other words, the administration will come to a grinding halt and only the bifurcation process and exercise will be operational, said the chief secretary P K Mohanty who is dealing with division of assets, debts between two entities. The marathon three-month exercise of division of state physical properties, assets and liabilities had begin on March 1 with president Pranab Mukherjee signing the AP Reorganization BIll -2014 passed by Parliament on February 18.

From Monday onwards the division of state government employees and the offices between the two states will commence after the proposals of Pratyush Sinha committee on sharing of IAS and IPS officials are finalized with concurrence of the PMO. On June 1, the governor will announce the formation of assemblies for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.