Government sets terms to employees

HYDERABAD: Now, it is the turn of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government to set conditions for the striking Telangana employees.I says it will look into the demands put forth by the latter on Wednesday only if they withdraw from the Sakala Janula Samme and join their duties immediately.The employees JAC has been asked to hold further discussions with chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi on Friday if they agree to preconditions of the government.The government’s stand was finalised at a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee with the chief minister at the Secretariat on Thursday.The government is of the view that people are undergoing hardships due to the strike and will revolt against the JAC leaders if the strike continues for another month or two.JAC leaders have no right to dictate to the ruling party to take an immediate political decision on Telangana but have to wait till the Centre takes a decision, said a senior official.As far as GO 177 is concerned, the government will consult the advocate-general since the matter is pending before the High Court.The government also decided to instruct the police officers concerned to submit details of the arrests of and cases against employees during the strike period.With regard to the demand for lifting of ESMA, the government sid no action has been taken against the employees though the Act was invoked by many departments and assured employees of soft-pedalling of cases if specific instances were brought to its notice.It also decided to order an enquiry into the incident that took place in the RTA office where JAC leader K Swamy Goud was attacked.It is learnt that the government has decided to initiate action against the uniformed personnel like employees from excise and forest departments who participated in the ‘Employees Maha Dharna’ on October 11.The government took strong exception to dancing and singing of a few employees at the protest programme and sought the opinion of the advocate-general for initiating action against these employees.On their part, the employee JAC leaders made it clear that their participation in the Samme was to achieve separate Telangana state and the preconditions they put on Wednesday to the cabinet sub-committee on employees’ issues were not a bargain to end the strike but to create a conducive atmosphere to commence ‘actual talks’.“We are forced to join the strike due to failure of the political system in fulfilling the people’s aspirations”, the JAC leaders claimed.Their preconditions are as follows: withdrawal of ESMA and GO 177 (no-work, nopay), lifting of police cases registered against some strikers, and probe into the attack on their leader K Swamy Goud and action against “policemen responsible’’ for it— were not meant for their withdrawal from the strike.The sub-committee of A Ramanarayana Reddy (finance), N Raghuveera Reddy (revenue), D Prasada Rao (roads & buildings), M Mukesh Goud (marketing) and D Nagender (labour) met the chief minister and held detailed discussions on the employees’ preconditions.Talking to newsmen later, Nagender said the government was sympathetic to the employees’ demands.At the meeting, the chief minister asked the chief secretary and GAD (protocol) officials to discuss the issues raised by the JAC and how to consider them.He also wanted them to invite the JAC leaders to talks and place the government’s views before them and to come to an understanding.“I am hopeful that the issue will be resolved via media.The officials concerned will talk to the JAC leaders as soon as possible”, the minister added