Rahul Gandhi, get your facts correct

At a recent public meeting in Sangareddy, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vice President Rahul Gandhi made certain remarks about the employment opportunities in Telangana state which are far from facts and truth. This could possibly be due to misinformation.

He alleged that during the last general elections, KCR promised a job for every house. This is false and on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister himself made it clear many a times. Rahul also alleged that CM was playing with the lives of the unemployed youth which again is a travesty of truth.

The CM initiated several measures, many of which are in the process of implementation, to create opportunities in government, non-government and public sectors, thereby bringing light in the lives of youth. If these facts are not known to Rahul Gandhi, it is unfortunate and if he tries to realise them then it will be good.

The government has accorded top most priority to overcome unemployment and for filling up vacancies in several government departments. As a first step, it has created Telangana State Public Service Commission. It is headed by well-known academician and Professor Ghanta Chakrapani as the Chairman.

As many as 27,860 jobs have been created under the Commission. Appointments process is going on at various stages. So far 5,999 jobs were filled up and notification is issued for the filling up of vacancies in 7,306 residential schools. And for an additional 2,437 posts notification is issued on June 2, 2017.

Requirement for 2,118 posts came from the Medical and Health department for which issue of notification is in the process. Notification is ready for another 10,000 jobs. Filling up of vacancies must go through a process and they cannot be filled up overnight.

Besides these notifications, the government has instructed the officials concerned to expedite the process for appointing another 20,000 in several educational institutions. The CM went on record on May 30, 2017 that appointment process in the educational institutes should begin within a week’s time.

In the state, for the 84 new Kasturi Ba Gandhi Girls Vidyalayas, 1,428 posts are required. The government issued orders for appointing 840 teaching and 588 non-teaching employees. The government has also given permission for 377 posts in urban residential schools to be set up in 29 district headquarters.

Of this, the CM has instructed the District Collectors concerned to appoint 174 teaching and 203 non-teaching employees. In addition, through the prestigious TS IPASS single window clearances industrial policy the 3,900 industries that got approval letters with an investment of Rs 72, 000 crore have an employment potential of over 2,40,000 jobs.

Already the 2,300 industries that started production provided 72,000 jobs. Is this not employment creation to the unemployed youth? The State government has also taken several measures for the job security and protection of the employees.

It has regularised 758 teachers working on contract basis for the past nine years and 18 ad hoc teachers. The government has upgraded 2,488 Basha Pandits and 1,047 PETs as School Assistants. It has also decided to regularise the contract employees benefiting 25,000 individuals in all.

The government has decided to fill up 13,357 in the electricity department from linemen to Executive Director under Genco, Transco and Discoms. It has also decided to appoint 1,500 non-technical employees. In the electricity department alone, 10,000 individuals are being promoted.

Is this not job creation and creating employment? The government has increased the salaries of GHMC drivers and sanitation workers. At the time of formation of State, municipal workers were getting a salary of Rs 8,500 per month, which is increased to Rs 12,500. Later, the CM announced that their salaries were further enhanced by Rs 1,500 per month, fixing at Rs 14,000 benefiting 24,000 workers.

The government hiked the salaries of Anganwadi workers twice. The first was announced in the Assembly on March 11, 2015 and the second when the CM had a meeting with Anganwadi workers and helpers on February 27, 2017. Their salaries are hiked by a whopping 150 per cent from Rs 4,200 to Rs 10,500 per month.

Mini Anganwadi workers’ salaries are increased from Rs 4,500 to Rs 6,000 benefiting 3,989 workers. This hike in salaries have helped 67,411 workers at 35,700 Anganwadi centres in the State. ASHA workers’ salaries were also increased to Rs 6,000 per month and the CM instructed that they be called Rural Health Workers.

The government has announced PRC for the state government employees who have actively participated in the Telangana movement 43 per cent fitment is given on their basic salary. The government has also given a special increment for the employees who successfully organised the Sakala Janula Samme.

Salaries were also hiked for the IKP workers, employees working under SERP and Employment Guarantee Scheme. Of the 4,174 workers in SERP, 767 employee’s salaries were hiked from Rs 6,250 to Rs 12,000 and others are given 30 per cent more. Field assistants working under Employment Guarantee Scheme are given a hike from Rs 6,290 to Rs 10,000 and 30 per cent hike given to others.

In all 11, 415 have got the benefit. For 1,578 employees working under 108 Services with meagre salaries, the government hiked to Rs 4,000 per month. For the Village Revenue Assistants working on hereditary posts, the salary is increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 10,500 (64.61 percent hike).

They were also given Rs 200 Telangana increment per month. The government has also decided to regularise VRAs recruited through the Public Service Commission. This will benefit the direct VRA recruits numbering 2,900 who are working at lower salaries.

The government has also decided to hike the salaries of 18,405 Village Organisation Assistants (VOA) who were working on lower salaries. They were getting Rs 500 to Rs 1500 per month. The CM held a meeting at Pragathi Bhavan with VOAs and assured that they would be given Rs 5,000 per month as salary.

The government also decided to hike the salaries of contract teachers working in Tribal Welfare Residential Schools. On the recommendations of 2010 PRC, SGT salary is hiked to Rs 10,900 and that of School Assistants to Rs 14,800 benefiting 1,892. On January 2, 2016, the state cabinet decided to increase the salaries of outsourcing employees.

For all those getting the salary of Rs 6, 700 to Rs 12,000, for those getting Rs 8, 400 to 15,000 and for those getting Rs 10,900 to Rs 17,000, the salaries were increased. By increasing the minimum salary of the contract lecturers to Rs 37,000 per month, 3,687 were benefited.

Contract Polytechnic Lecturers’ basic salary is increased to Rs 40,270 and for the Degree College Lecturers, Rs 43,670. RTC employees are given 44 percent fitment as well as Telangana increment benefitting 58,770 employees. 24,000 outsourcing employees in the electricity department are being regularized in a phased manner; with this they will get job protection and better wages.

Electricity employees in the state are given 27.5 fitment allowance. On December 2, 2014, the government decided to give 30 per cent fitment to the employees in Genco, Transco and Discoms. The salaries of Home Guards, who are on duty day and night has been increased to Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000 benefiting 16,000 of them.

When this is the truth, Rahul speaks in a different way. Rahu Gandhi Ji get your facts correct please! (Writer is Telangana Chief Minister’s Chief Public Relations Officer)

By Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao