National Backward Classes Welfare Association has demanded that the State government reinstate 390 outsourced panchayat secretaries who were removed from duties recently as part of the zonal transfer of employees.
Speaking at a meeting of the Telangana Outsourced Panchayat Secretaries Association held here on Sunday, president of the NBCWA R. Krishnaiah said about 2,500 were appointed on ad-hoc and outsourced basis in 2020 by district panchayat officers (DPOs) based on marks, merit list and roster points following a circular issued by the State government to district collectors to ensure that there is a panchayat secretary to every Gram Panchayat.
Of the 2,500 taken on outsourced and ad-hoc basis, 1,700 were converted as junior panchayat secretaries later leaving only 800 working on ad-hoc basis. However, as part of the zonal transfer of employees effected through GO 31, Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 panchayat secretaries were appointed in GPs in place of the 390 ad-hoc panchayat secretaries and rendered them unemployed again, Mr. Krishnaiah explained.
He alleged that instead of taking up recruitment to fill vacancies the State and Central governments were neglecting the employment issue. He demanded the State and Central governments to fill 2.5 lakh vacancies and 16 lakh vacancies, respectively, instead of keeping them vacant for 10 to 20 years. The administration had become weak due to large number of vacancies both in the State and Central governments.
Mr. Krishnaiah suggested the Centre to make filling of vacancies a constitutional obligation to keep the executive system, one of the four pillars of democracy, strong. He requested all political parties to bring a Bill in Parliament to ensure filling of vacancies within a month of their falling vacant.
Stating that no Group-I notification was issued for the last nine years, Mr. Krishnaiah said thousands of employees were retired during the period and in addition 23 new districts, 131 new mandals, 30 revenue divisions, 76 municipalities, 7 municipal corporations, 4,383 gram panchayats, 103 police stations, 25 police sub-divisions, 31 police circles and 7 police commissionerates had come into being creating 40,000 new posts in Group-I, II, III and IV categories. However, no recruitment had been taken up to fill the vacancies.
Lack of recruitment was not only affecting the implementation of development and welfare scheme but was also causing distress among the unemployed youth with 76 of the ending lives in 2021 alone, Mr. Krishnaiah said.
