The Hindu : Front Page : Talks fail, revenue staff to go on strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Talks fail, revenue staff to go on strike

Special Correspondent

Government to go ahead with making alternative arrangements

HYDERABAD: Boycott of the work relating to distribution of ration cards in the rural areas by the 35,000-strong revenue employees in the State became certain on Monday following failure of the talks held by the Government with their leaders in the last-ditch attempt.

The Government, however, will go ahead with the exercise from Tuesday as planned earlier, Civil Supplies and Revenue Ministers N. Raghuveera Reddy and D. Prasada Rao announced later. They said alternative arrangements had already been made. As a saving grace, the Panchayat Raj staff offered their services for the massive work.

K. Lakshmiah and N. Ananda Rao, president and general secretary respectively of the Andhra Pradesh Revenue Services Association, who participated in the one-hour talks held by an official team here, said their boycott would also include the work relating to land acquisition for irrigation projects and publication of revised electoral rolls on February 10.

They would organise dharnas at the Collectorates on February 2 before launching the indefinite strike five days later all over the State over their 29 demands. The Village Servants Association backed the strike while the organisation representing deputy collectors expressed mere solidarity.

No meeting ground

At the talks, there was no meeting ground between the official team led by V. P. Jauhari, Special Chief Secretary, Revenue, and the association leaders on the two major demands--appointment of revenue secretaries exclusively to handle revenue record work and appointment of children of village servants on compassionate grounds.

The leaders walked out of the conference abruptly in protest when the officials repeatedly told them that the Government was sympathetic to their demands but did not come out with a written commitment as demanded by them.

The association leaders felt "let down" because the Revenue Minister, whose presence was promised at the meeting, did not turn up.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers' Central Union expressed support to the strike.

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