The Telangana State Government seems to be contemplating to replicate a decision taken by its Andhra Pradesh counterpart by taking serious action against the striking contract lecturers if they failed to resume duties forthwith.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was annoyed over the “adamant” attitude of the lecturers for not calling off their strike despite assuring to concede their demands like salary hike and regularization of their services soon. The State government is so serious that it was trying to take alternative measures if the striking lecturers failed to call off strike by January 12, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister firmly said the contract junior lecturers should call off stir by Thursday and resume duties otherwise, they would face an axe. He also slammed the lecturers for continuing strike with the support of some political parties which is suicidal. “We have already conceded salary hike demand by increasing pay to Rs 27,000 from Rs 18,000 and the issue of regularization of their services is under acive consideration of the government as per a GO No 14”, he said.
Srihari said, “The contract lecturers should join duties to conduct Intermediate examinations and strengthen the Education sector”. he appealed. He also accused some political parties of adopting “dual standards” in this regard as the contract lecturers in Andhra Pradesh resumed duties by calling off their strike despite no guarantee was given by that government. He reminded that the AP Government had warned of taking alternative steps like filling lecturer posts by denying them salary hike and regularization. However, the Telangana government was keen on solving the issues of the contract lecturers by conceding to their demands.
The Deputy Chief Minister warned that GO No 16 empowered the government to deny salary hike and also regularization of service if the employees remained absent to their duties unauthorizedly or participating in a strike. “Keeping this in view, the contract lecturers should resume duties by January 13 or face axe”, he warned. As the State Cabinet has already approved the issue of regularization of services of contract and outsourcing employees, the striking lecturers would get benefited very soon if they call off their agitation”, Srihari stated. (NSS)