Subscribe
Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
A planned protest by Swarna Gramam Swarna Ward (SGSW) employees in Vijayawada on Sunday, September 27 was disrupted after police detained hundreds of workers travelling from across Andhra Pradesh and prevented them from reaching the designated protest venue.
Employee associations said the detentions began late on Saturday night, with personnel intercepting employees at bus stands, railway stations, and en route to Vijayawada. In the city too, around 600 ward secretariat employees were reportedly taken into custody and moved to different police stations.
The protesters are seeking two notional increments, settlement of pending dues, improved promotional avenues and a permanent promotion structure. Employee leaders said several service issues remained unresolved despite the village and ward secretariat system completing nearly seven years.
Despite the restrictions, groups of employees reached Lenin Centre and Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada, where they staged road protests and raised slogans over their long-pending service-related demands. Police deployed additional personnel and erected barricades around the area.
The situation became tense when police moved to clear the protesters. Employee associations alleged that several workers were forcibly removed and injured during scuffles, and claimed that some women protesters were dragged away. They also alleged that employees held at police stations were not provided adequate food and basic facilities.
Police had earlier denied permission for the demonstration, citing restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Section 30 of the Police Act.
Employee associations criticised the action as an attempt to prevent workers from voicing their grievances and demanded the release of those detained, along with a written assurance from the government.
Andhra Social Welfare and Gram/Ward Secretariat Systems Minister Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said that the government was addressing the employees’ concerns. He said that the file on notional increments had been sent to the Finance Department and that measures were also being considered on regularisation, pending dues and promotions.
