diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c727cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
+    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
+    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
+    "version": "0.2.0",
+    "configurations": [
+        {
+            "name": "Python Debugger: Current File",
+            "type": "debugpy",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "program": "${file}",
+            "console": "integratedTerminal",
+            "args": ["C:\\Scripts\\rushti\\tasks_opt_case2.txt","4","opt"]
+        }
+    ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/__pycache__/utils.cpython-310.pyc b/__pycache__/utils.cpython-310.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17f7320
Binary files /dev/null and b/__pycache__/utils.cpython-310.pyc differ
diff --git a/rushti.py b/rushti.py
index c9b1cee..9572302 100644
--- a/rushti.py
+++ b/rushti.py
@@ -330,12 +330,16 @@ def extract_tasks_from_file_type_opt(
                     tasks[task.id].append(task)
 
     # expand tasks
+    expanded_tasks = dict()
     if expand:
         for task_id in tasks:
             for task in tasks[task_id]:
                 for expanded_task in expand_task(tm1_services, task):
-                    tasks[task.id].append(expanded_task)
-                tasks[task.id].remove(task)
+                    if task.id not in expanded_tasks:
+                        expanded_tasks[task.id] = [expanded_task]
+                    else:
+                        expanded_tasks[task.id].append(expanded_task)
+        tasks = expanded_tasks
 
     # Populate the successors attribute
     for task_id in tasks: