The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TTD meeting today to end ‘gold dollars’ row

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Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TTD meeting today to end ‘gold dollars’ row

Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI: In the raging unrest in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams over the last two days with regard to the ‘arbitrary’ suspension of two of its Deputy Executive Officers for their alleged complicity in the missing gold dollars case, there was a respite on Wednesday.

The TTD employees who went on mass casual leave and held a dharna on Tuesday in front of the TTD headquarters here condemning the action of the TTD’s Executive Officer, K.V. Ramanachary, on Wednesday called off their stir, at least temporarily and returned to work.

Boost for stir

Their agitation received a shot in the arm on Tuesday with leaders of all political parties turning up at the dharna camp and joining the chorus to demand the immediate revocation of the suspension orders on two grounds, one that the incumbents had a clean track record spanning over 30 years of service and secondly the ‘violation’ of the fundamental rule of seeking the explanation of the delinquents on such occasions before handing out extreme punishment.

The agitating employees who dispersed following an assurance that they would get a ‘positive solution’ to their agitation at the ‘Emergency meeting’ of the Board slated for Thursday, gathered again on Wednesday morning in front of the TTD headquarters and held a sit-in.

Following slogans that the Executive Officer, Mr Ramanachary, should come and talk to them, the EO finally turned up and tried to assuage the ruffled feeling of the striking employees.

He expressed regrets over ‘hurting the sentiments and psyche’ of the TTD employees and held out a promise to them that the board meeting slated for Thursday would solve all their problems. He said since he cannot revoke the suspension orders, an emergency meeting was being convened on Thursday to end the tangle.

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