Hyderabad, Oct 13 (PTI) Though Andhra Pradesh government appears to be in no mood to concede the demands of the Telangana Employees Joint Action Committee, it has asked chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi to engage JAC leaders in talks to end the ongoing strike that entered the 31st day today.
Members of the cabinet sub-committee on employees issues met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar
Reddy in the Secretariat this afternoon and discussed the demands put forth by the TEJAC.
TEJAC has demanded that the government immediately withdraw the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) enforced in certain departments as well as GO No. 177 that stipulates 'no-work, no-pay' rule; besides withdrawal of all police cases booked against striking workers in the last 30 days and an inquiry into the police action against JAC president K Swami Goud.
But the main demand of the TEJAC is creation of Telangana state, for which they have been on an indefinite strike since September 13.
"Let them call off the strike first and come for discussions so that we can consider their demands," state ministers Danam Nagender and M Mukesh Goud, who were part of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, told reporters at the end of the meeting.
When pointed out that the JAC was not ready to attend any further talks with the government without their demands being conceded, the Ministers questioned, "How can a decision be taken without a discussion?."
The Chief Minister reportedly told his cabinet colleagues that no cases were booked so far under ESMA, while GO 177 was being implemented on the directions of the High Court. "We can't take any decision on our own on withdrawing GO 177. Police cases and other issues can be looked into later," a minister quoted the Chief Minister as saying.
Meanwhile, Danam appealed to the Telangana Joint Action Committee to postpone the rail-roko planned for October 15, 16 and 17 to some other date as the Group-2 services recruitment examinations were scheduled to be held in the state on 15 and 16. "As many as two lakh candidates from Telangana districts are required to appear for the examinations. In their interests, the rail-roko agitation should be put off," the Labour minister requested the JAC.
"When they could postpone the agitation to serve their political interest because of the bypoll in Banswada, why can't they put it off in the interest of lakhs of students," he questioned. Meanwhile, talks held by Secondary Education Minister K Parthasarathy with managements of colleges, to get the educational institutes reopened, failed.
The managements remained adamant on their stand that they would continue with the strike till the demand for creation of Telangana state was conceded. PTI
Members of the cabinet sub-committee on employees issues met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar
Reddy in the Secretariat this afternoon and discussed the demands put forth by the TEJAC.
TEJAC has demanded that the government immediately withdraw the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) enforced in certain departments as well as GO No. 177 that stipulates 'no-work, no-pay' rule; besides withdrawal of all police cases booked against striking workers in the last 30 days and an inquiry into the police action against JAC president K Swami Goud.
But the main demand of the TEJAC is creation of Telangana state, for which they have been on an indefinite strike since September 13.
"Let them call off the strike first and come for discussions so that we can consider their demands," state ministers Danam Nagender and M Mukesh Goud, who were part of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, told reporters at the end of the meeting.
When pointed out that the JAC was not ready to attend any further talks with the government without their demands being conceded, the Ministers questioned, "How can a decision be taken without a discussion?."
The Chief Minister reportedly told his cabinet colleagues that no cases were booked so far under ESMA, while GO 177 was being implemented on the directions of the High Court. "We can't take any decision on our own on withdrawing GO 177. Police cases and other issues can be looked into later," a minister quoted the Chief Minister as saying.
Meanwhile, Danam appealed to the Telangana Joint Action Committee to postpone the rail-roko planned for October 15, 16 and 17 to some other date as the Group-2 services recruitment examinations were scheduled to be held in the state on 15 and 16. "As many as two lakh candidates from Telangana districts are required to appear for the examinations. In their interests, the rail-roko agitation should be put off," the Labour minister requested the JAC.
"When they could postpone the agitation to serve their political interest because of the bypoll in Banswada, why can't they put it off in the interest of lakhs of students," he questioned. Meanwhile, talks held by Secondary Education Minister K Parthasarathy with managements of colleges, to get the educational institutes reopened, failed.
The managements remained adamant on their stand that they would continue with the strike till the demand for creation of Telangana state was conceded. PTI
