Confusion prevails among the State government employees over whether they would be allotted to their choice of the district in the new local cadres constituted in line with the Presidential Order 2018.
Employees, particularly those in the lower level, are complaining that there is no clarity in the guidelines issued for allotment of the employees according to the provisions under The Telangana Public Employment (Organisation of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order 2018. The order was issued following the Presidential assent received for dividing the posts into district, zonal and multi-zonal posts in seven zones and two multi-zones created.
Employees are worried that the government was taking seniority, not nativity, as the criterion for re-allotment of the staff. “Doubts still persist over how seniority will be fixed as no specific orders have been issued in this direction,” an employees’ association leader said.
As seniority is being taken as a criterion, genuine employees native to a particular area could lose the opportunity to work in their districts as seniors would be given postings first. The problem will be further complicated as a majority of the employees will prefer opting for either Hyderabad or neighbouring Rangareddy.
“The cadre strength in districts like Hyderabad and RR will be completed with seniors getting the opportunity. This will in turn mean that there will be no recruitment in these districts in the near future thus denying the Hyderabad and RR natives an opportunity,” say the employees leaders. The issue would have a cascading effect in that the nativity of the children in admission into schools/colleges too would be affected.
There was also no clarity about the House Rent Allowance component of the salary which was different for different areas. During their ongoing discussions with senior officials and Ministers concerned, employees are demanding that the government consider implementation of the new Presidential Order in respect of employees recruited after 2018.
Status quo should be maintained in respect of old employees for whom the old Presidential Order 1975 should be taken as criterion for their allocation to district, zonal and multi-zonal posts. The government should start allocation process taking one district as nodal district and extend it to others based on the results.
Steps should be taken to create super-numerary posts in the event of more applications received for posts in particular districts than the sanctioned strength. The government should also set up a helpline to clarify doubts of the employees at the time of their allocation to different district and zonal/multi-zonal posts.
