In view of the Singareni Colleries’ Union Election, TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday made three major announcements for the coal mine workers of Singareni.
Releasing the TRS union's manifesto, at the Telangana Bhavan, the Chief Minister assured that the government would reintroduce ‘dependent employment scheme’ despite a High Court order against it.
He claimed that it was possible to bypass the law, if the scheme was reintroduced as ‘compassionate appointment’. The dependent scheme was introduced by the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), the organization belonging to TRS. However, the scheme was called unconstitutional by the High Court.
He also said that the government will waive off the profession tax of the employees. “The Singareni employees, who work under extreme conditions, pay both income and profession tax. The profession tax accounts for Rs 175 crore. Since, the profession tax falls under the purview of the state government, we will waive them off,” he said.
Continuing with his announcements, KCR said that the government will provide interest-free home loans up to Rs 6 lakh for the employees and also increase the lump sum amount to Rs 25 lakh for those who seek voluntary retirement.
Besides these major announcements, KCR said that the government will also extend the medical facilities for the families of the employees.
He said that the referral medical facilities will be extended to corporate hospitals, which will also cover parents of the employees, that was earlier restricted just to their wife and kin.
He accused the unions affiliated to CPI, TDP and Congress of destroying the lives of the employees, by not allowing the ‘dependent employment scheme’, wherein, the kin of the workers, would be given employment in the company, if the employee is deemed medically unfit.
Appealing the workers to vote for the TRS’ coal workers union Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), he said that it was his consistent efforts that led to increase in the ex-gratia amount from the then existing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
He exuded confidence that the TBGKS would sweep the polls. “We will win all the 11 posts. We already know it,” he said.
The Workers' Union election would be held on October 5.
KCR against TJAC
Slamming TJAC chairman Prof. Kodandram’s protest to be held on October 3 against the state government’s introduction of G.O 39, KCR called him ‘mental’ ‘shameless’ and ‘intolerant.’
He said the protest led by TJAC along with opposition parties including Congress, BJP and TDP was ‘cheap politics’.
G.O 39 seeks to form Rythu Samanvaya Samithi (Farmer’s Coordination Committee) across the state. TJAC and Opposition parties call the formation of these committees undemocratic, as they would undermine the local bodies like village panchayat system. They allege that these committees will only comprise party workers of the TRS, as they are nominated posts.