Telangana Government May Axe Agitating Lecturers

Emulating its counterparts in Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana government vowed to take severe action against the lecturers who had been protesting for the regularization of their jobs and pay hike, if they failed to resume duties.

Speaking to the media at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed his annoyance over the adamance of the lecturers who refused to call off the strike despite ample assurances given by him.

The State government would act against the professors if they failed to stop the agitation by January 12, the Education Minister asserted. "These lecturers should get back to their jobs and conduct the intermediate examinations, and help strengthen the education sector," he promised.

He also slammed the lecturers for taking help from political parties and called it a suicidal move. "We have already conceded to the salary hike demand by increasing pay to Rs. 27,000 from Rs. 18,000, and the issue of regularization of their services is under active consideration of the government as per GO No 14. But despite this, several professors are being fueled by political parties. Education ought to stay clear of politics," he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister warned that GO No 16 allowed the TRS government to deny salary hikes and also regularization of service, if employees abstain from their duties without prior permission or participated in a strike.

Unlike the previous Andhra Pradesh government, the TRS government was much softer on protesters and had conceded to the demands, Srihari recalled. The AP government had passed strict sanctions against those that had continued to protest. It had even declared that it was not bothered by the protests, and could axe agitators and find replacements for them, the Deputy CM said.