Suspended in morning, revoked in evening
High drama enfolded at the Yadagirigutta temple last week when its authorities suspended five priests and a supervisor in the morning and revoked the order by the evening.
The reason: They were not in attendance to receive local MLA G. Sunitha when she visited the temple for darshan. She was invited by the District Forest Officer to present Tulasi plants to the pilgrims.
Ironically, the MLA did not know about the suspension until it was brought to her notice by other employees of the temple. The employees association leaders also sought appointment to meet the MLA in Hyderabad two days later but never turned up.
The entire episode was mired in mystery because the MLA neither took notice of the absence of priests nor was she aware of their duty roster in the shift system. The authorities somehow felt all those in that particular shift did not observe the protocol in receiving her and, hence, suspended them. The suspension was revoked on an appeal by their colleagues and temple trustees. Nonetheless, the suspension went into record books.
Promotions don’t
matter here
Government employees go to any length to get promotions, including boycott of duties for a long period. But, here is an interesting case where the government junior college lecturers want to stay in the same post despite getting promotions as degree college lecturers. Last year, 382 lecturers were promoted to degree colleges but most of them want to return. Officials said 40 of them have already returned to junior colleges. Of course, the reason is apparently to do more with increased work load and better pay and promotions in the junior colleges than degree colleges.
They feel they can benefit from Pay Revision Commission (PRC) given by the State Government every five years unlike the UGC pay revision that comes every 10 years for degree colleges and varsities. Moreover, they need to take more classes in degree colleges than junior colleges. Promotions are also pretty easy at the Intermediate level.
Most handsome guy!
All said and done, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao is among the most active members of the K. Chandrasekhar Rao Cabinet in Telangana, besides being one of the most popular and visible faces, holding the most happening portfolio. However, there are other kinds of readings too about him, including one by senior journalist Potturi Venkateswara Rao recently. According to him, Mr. Harish Rao is the most handsome guy in the Telangana Cabinet. “God has given him good physique. I used to go to gym to maintain proper body in my youth, but I was not blessed with as good physique as that of Mr. Harish. I don’t know whether or not he went to a gym but still he has got an attractive physique. By all means, he is the most handsome guy in the Telangana Cabinet and doing some good work in irrigation and other areas”. Mr. Rao was all smiles.
Reduced to an
annual ritual
Year after year, the BJP has been religiously observing September 17 as the Hyderabad Liberation Day to mark the accession of erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union. With the political wind in its favour, the party has taken several strides more this year by launching a yatra more than a fortnight ahead and felicitating the crew of a film in Marathi to depict the misrule of Nizam of Hyderabad which was dubbed into Telugu.
The demand of BJP that the Day be observed officially by the State government has not seen light though Mr. L.K. Advani as Union Home Minister in 1998 and Mr. Rajnath Singh as party president in 2006 addressed public meetings in Hyderabad. Mr. Singh will participate in another programme this time in Nizamabad, but the TRS government is unlikely to make any concession.
(N. Rahul, R. Ravikanth Reddy, B Chandrasekhar, M. Rajeev)
