Tension prevailed for some time as a large number of panchayat secretaries held dharna at the district headquarters town while police prevented them from holding dhana at the Collectorate. Huge police force was mobilised to stop them from holding a massive protest.
The panchayat secretaries are a worried lo with work pressure increasing, making them unable to cope with that.
In a memorandum addressed to the Collector, they listed the problems they were facing, stating that these problems should be addressed immediately.
“We must be allowed to work only for eight hours and we have to be exempted from supervising NREGS works. Reduce our prohibition period from three years to two years, extend us pay scale and health cards. Provide basic facilities like toilets in panchayat offices as several women are working as panchayat secretaries,” they said. They also wanted extension of maternity leave to six months with immediate effect which was presently four months.
Although they tried to present a memorandum to the Collector, they were prevented by the police and it was handed over to district panchayat officer V. Venkateswarlu
“Our work pressure is high and we request the government to reduce it. It is humanly impossible to work for long hours for a number of days,” said a panchayat secretary.
