Sparks fly at NGOs debate

GO 610 turns bone of contention on HMTV show

Hyderabad: Participating in a HMTV panel discussion called 'Anumanalu, Nijalu' (Doubts and facts) on Monday, Seemandhra employees serving in Secretariat defended the legality of their appointment in various departments during all these years, arguing that 610 GO has been unfairly cited by Telangana employees as a reason for bifurcation of the State. However, the TNGOs countered them saying they can prove the illegality with evidence. TVV Satyanarayana, City President of APNGOs, Muralimohan Secretariat Seemandhra Employees’ Union, Devi Prasad, President, TNGOs Union and Narender Rao, President of Secretariat Telangana Employees Union participated in the panel discussion.

Satyanaraya said that the recruitment for APPSC had happened only through zonal system and individuals who studied from 4th to 10th class in Hyderabad were considered to be locals. He said that the people of Seemandhra would not let the Telangana Bill to be passed in the Parliament.

He questioned Telangana staff leaders why they never utilized RTI Act to find out if there was excessive recruitment of Andhra staff. He said that there were no excess non-locals working in Secretariat and that everybody there had been recruited according to the service commission rules only. Devi Prasad countered saying that APNGOs had submitted several memoranda to Government for proper implementation of 610 GO and Jaya Bharath Reddy committee and other committees had declared 60,000 employees as non-locals in the past. Even then, he said that many people obtained stays from courts and stayed put. He reminded the panelists that no service records had been maintained in the past and Telangana employees had gone on Dharna for 13 days in the past regarding that issue.

He said that according to service rules, options would be given to employees who will be affected by the bifurcation, in absence of which, Government guidelines would decide where the employees will be stationed. Even though Deviprasad had given an assurance during live discussion that Seemandhra employees would not be targeted, Satyanarayana questioned the former as to why he did not condemn statements made by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao to the effect that Seemandhra staff would have no option but will have to leave. He reasoned that employees, who were found to be posted in Hyderabad in violation of rules were transferred long before. There would be a bare minimum in that category at present, Satyanarayana said.

Meanwhile, Murali Mohan said that it would be very difficult for Seemandhra employees to relocate to a new place after working for such a long time in Hyderabad. When Andhra State was formed, the capital was shifted from Madras to Kurnool, later it was changed to Hyderabad. Now we are asked to move to another city from Hyderabad. After how long this new capital would materialize is anybody’s guess with Greater Rayalaseema demand picking up, he rued.

On the other hand Narendra Rao, felt that it was time Telangana and Seemandhra employee unions sat across the table and sorted out apprehensions since decision on demerger was already taken by New Delhi. Deviprasad said that employees who secured jobs in violation of Zones, 610 GO and Presidential Order would be sent back to their native places.

However, employees from other regions who secured jobs by proper means would be given options. They could be accommodated in Telangana Secretariat by creation of super-numerary posts.