Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari has said that the government is hoping that the High Court will vacate its stay on implementing unified service rules for the teachers of State government and local bodies’ schools.
The case would come up for hearing on March 31 and Advocate General was asked to represent the government as the stay was affecting filling up of over 500 Mandal Education Officer posts in the State, crucial to monitor functioning of government primary schools. The Deputy Chief Minister was replying to a query in the Legislative Council here on Tuesday., Mr. Srihari said the long pending unified service rules for teachers of State government and local bodies moved a step forward when the Supreme Court, in its judgement in September 2015, said it had no objection for unified service rules. The Apex Court, however, said the Presidential Order should be amended before giving promotions to the teaches based on unified service rules.
Key to promotions
Telangana government had then sent amendments to the unified service rules to the Centre, got President’s assent and even a gazette notification was issued. At that stage, some State government teachers challenged the notification and urged the High Court to restore status quo, Mr. Srihari explained.
The implementation of unified service rules was key to giving promotions to the teachers as Mandal Education Officers. At present over 528 posts were vacant but they would have to be filled through promotions.
BJP member N. Ramachandra Rao, TRS members Paturi Sudhakar Reddy, Janardhan Reddy, Pula Ravinder and others said the long drawn litigation came in the way of filling MEO posts. They also demanded more MEO posts, to ensure proper supervision of government primary schools in the State.
Aasara Pensions
Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said old people who enrolled their age as less than 60 years in Aadhaar card and thus deprived of old age pensions despite being eligible, could approach the officers concerned for rectification.
Replying to a query, he said the fingerprints of some beneficiaries were being rejected by the biometric system depriving them of pension in some case. The issue would be resolved soon as the Iris technology was being linked to biometric system.
He also said disbursement of pensions through post offices with their wide network was far more efficient. Of 40 lakh Aasara beneficiaries, 22 lakh got pensions through post offices, 17 lakh through banks.
