The decision of the Telangana cabinet to regularize all contract employees has led to a major controversy in the state as students and unemployed youth have been worrying that would hamper their aspirations of getting government jobs after formation of Telangana statea.
Students in Osmania Univeristy has started agitation soon after the cabinet’s decision opposing the move. They are alleging that most of contract employees had secured jobs based on recommendations from politicians without observing reservation or educational criteria’s.No recruitment procedures were followed.
According to soruces, there are about 70,000 contract employees are working in 90 departments, including in the Telangana Secretariat. The state government is planning to filter out at least 40,000 employees by bringing in nativity norms with a condition that only those employees, whose families were residents of Telangana prior to 1956, are eligible.
As a result, Mr Rao faced the wrath of Osmania University students during his election campaigning.
Official sources admitting that mMany contract employees have been working for over 20 years with low salaries. Regularising such senior employees would not pose any problem. But many contract employees secured jobs during the last 5-10 years and there are complaints that the criterion for selection was political interference.
“Several students with higher educational qualifications have failed to secure government jobs via recruitment exams as most of the vacancies are filled by contract staff. Instead of recruiting permanent staff, the T-government is trying to regularise contract staff which deprives genuine and qualified students of government jobs,” said A. Kishore of OUJAC.
Close on the heels of the Osmania University students’ protest against the chief minister’s promise to regularise the services of contract employees in the state, the Telangana Joint Action Committee has urged the state government to consider the views of students before taking the final step.
TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram said that though the government’s decision was a good initiative for the welfare of contract employees, but it is also important that it should do justice to everybody. He indicated very soon they would discuss the issue with the chief minister.
