APCOS to check graft, says AP CM

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has made it clear that the Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS) was formed with a view to check irregularities in recruitment as well as to maintain transparency at the district and State level.

He denied the allegations made by TDP MLAs in the Assembly that APCOS was formed with a view to fill the posts in various departments with YSRCP men and the government was removing the contract employees in the State.

During a discussion in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Chief Minister reacted angrily following a question posed by the TDP MLAs on setting up of APCOS and removing of contract employees.

TDP MLAs K Atchannaidu, A Satyaprasad, Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar and Gorantla Butchaiah Chowday asked the Chief Minister whether it is a fact that several contract and outsourced employees have been removed by the government in the State.

They also sought to know the steps taken by the government to provide job security to contract and outsourced employees.

While raising the question, Atchannaidu alleged that efforts were being made to remove employees in Velugu project and the State government had formed the Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced services with a view to fill the outsourced posts with YSRCP supporters.

Reacting angrily to the allegations, Jagan Mohan Reddy said the prime objective of forming the APCOS was to check corruption in recruitment and help the employees get their salaries properly.

The Chief Minister alleged that during the previous TDP rule, Bhaskar Naidu, a relative of Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu, was empowered to recruit outsourced employees and many irregularities were committed in the recruitment.

Jagan claimed that he has all proofs related to the recruitment made by Bhaskar Naidu in temples and he would produce them in the House.

He said the State government has been trying to maintain transparency in recruitment at the district and State level and would check corruption in recruitment. He alleged that the outsourced salaries did not get their full salaries and corruption was rampant during the TDP rule.

Jagan also charged that TDP deputy leader K Atchannaidu was uttering lies in the House everyday and misleading people of the State. He flayed the TDP MLAs for levelling false allegations on setting up of APCOS.

Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy has made it clear that the YSRCP government has not sacked the contract employees.

He has made it clear that the YSRCP has never given assurance in the election manifesto that all contract and outsourced employees would be regularised.

He said the party has announced that the regularisation

of employees would be made considering the seniority and qualifications only and there is no timeframe for it.