The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TTD ‘Purana Pundits’ call off protest

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Saturday, Aug 23, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TTD ‘Purana Pundits’ call off protest

Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI: TTD ‘Purana Pundits’ on Friday called off their 120-hour non-stop discourse-delivery nine hours before the scheduled time.

The ending of their novel agitation follows a relief package announced by the TTD management led by its Board Chairman B. Karunakar Reddy and Executive Officer K.V. Ramanachary who visited their agitation camp.

The pundits who were engaged in delivering discourses in different parts of the State had launched their protest under the banner of the CPI(M) demanding regularisation of their services as many of them had been working in the same cadre for over 15 years.

Package announced

But barring regularisation of their services, the TTD management announced a relief package to the protesting pundits. The package includes an across the board increase in their monthly honorarium by Rs.2000 besides discarding the grading system. The management also agreed to provide the pundits with identification cards, laddus, darshan facility at Tirumala, TA and DA besides medicare in the TTD and allied hospitals. The pundits also took the occasion to organise themselves into a body for their future needs. The following are its office-bearers: Bhagyalakshmi (president), Vemuri Annapoorna (vice-president), N. Devarajulu (general secretary) and Karunakar Reddy (treasurer)

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