Taking a serious view of the ongoing strike by junior panchayat secretaries, the State government has warned them that their services will be terminated in case they fail to join duties immediately.
The government set a deadline of one day, till 5 p.m. on Tuesday for the striking employees to resume their duties, failing which their services will be terminated. Panchayat Raj secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania served a notice to this effect on the agitating employees. The notice follows the meeting of Panchayat Raj Minister E. Dayakar Rao with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to brief him about the situation.
The government said in the notice that the junior panchayat secretaries formed a union in violation of their agreement bond and went on strike since April 28 for regularisation of their services. The JPS declared in their agreement bond that they would not join any service union/organisation/association. They would not also claim any right to be appointed on a regular basis and such appointment would be without prejudice to the regular appointments that might be made in future.
“Regularisation of service of any contract employee cannot be for all, but will be subject to the assessment and evaluation of their performance by a committee appointed by the government. Those whose performance is found to be satisfactory can only be regularised,” Mr. Sultania said in the notice.
He said in spite of knowing all the facts, the JPS’ formed a union and went on strike “unlawfully”. “In such a situation, by forming a union and proceeding on strike illegally, you have terminated all the rights to continue in service,” he said, adding that the striking employees were directed as a last chance to join duty by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The services of those failing to join duties by the said deadline would be terminated.
