Stunned by the brutal murder of Abdullapurmet tahsildar P. Vijaya Reddy, who was set ablaze in her chambers here on Monday, all the revenue employees decided to boycott work in response to a call given by the Telangana Revenue Employees Services Association (TRESA).
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when the accused, Kura Suresh of Gowrelli village, who had been pursuing a land dispute case, entered the tahsildar’s chambers during lunch hour, doused her with petrol and set her on fire. The officer, who reportedly ran out of her chambers, succumbed to her burns on the office premises itself.
TRESA president Vanga Ravinder Reddy and general secretary K. Goutham Kumar strongly condemned the incident and demanded that the government take action against the accused.
The TRESA State Committee called upon the revenue employees to attend Ms Reddy’s funeral in Kaluvalapalli, in Nalgonda district on Tuesday.
The TRESA State Committee said the employees should boycott work for three days in protest.
Panel seeks protection
The State Committee would finalise the future action plan with suggestions of all employees and demanded that the real conspirators behind the accused be identified and punished. The government should take immediate steps for protection of revenue employees, particularly women, it said.
V. Latchi Reddy of Deputy Collectors’ Association and S. Ramulu of Telangana Tahsildars Association and K. Chandra Mohan, president, and Madhu, general secretary of Telangana Deputy Collectors’ Association Civil Services Executive Branch and Telangana Gazetted Officers Association, condemned the gruesome incident and expressed condolences to members of the bereaved family.
“Never in my 25 years of services, such a heinous attack took place on a government officer. All the government employees are shocked and disturbed. It is unfortunate that a woman officer was set afire while discharging her duty. A stern and visible action should be taken for the murder of a public servant,” said Mr. Chandra Mohan.
G. Upender Rao of the Telangana Village Revenue Officers Association, Village Revenue Assistants Association president Ramesh Bahadur, Village Revenue Officers’ Association (Central Union) leaders Golconda Satish, Rajesh and K. Bhikshapati condemned the ‘murder’ of tahsildar while Telangana Secretariat Employees Association president Padmachari said the government should own responsibility for the incident. Mr. Upender Rao said the Revenue Department employees had worked hard to implement the Telangana government’s schemes. Though new pattadar passbooks were given to 60 lakh people, remaining 10 lakhs were pending because of various disputesbetween family members, legal disputes or other reasons. Instead of amending the revenue Acts to resolve the disputes and speedy resolution of issues being faced by the farmers, remarks by the Chief Minister had made people restive and led to attacks on revenue employees, Mr. Rao said.
The government should come to the rescue of Ms Reddy’s family and also the families of other revenue employees who had died due to stress and harassment so far, he said.
Telangana Secretariat Employees Association president Padmachari said the government should own responsibility for the incident, adding that repeated statements by some political leaders and prominent persons targeting the employees undermined the confidence of the public in employees.
