Editorial: Bonanza for job aspirants
‘Neellu, Nidhulu, Niyaamakaalu’ (Water, Funds, Jobs) was the clarion call that defined the essence of the Telangana statehood movement. Having already delivered on the first two promises, the State government has now unveiled a mega initiative to keep the promise on providing employment for the youth. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s announcement in the Assembly that his government would immediately take up direct recruitment to fill over 80,039 posts comes as a major bonanza, reflecting the government’s commitment to meet the aspirations of the youth. The scale is truly ambitious and awe-inspiring. This is probably an unprecedented employment initiative by any State in recent times. Bringing further cheer amid the pandemic-induced gloom, the government has also decided to regularise services of 11,103 contract workers who are already working. This takes the total recruitment to 91,142 posts across various departments, entailing an additional annual commitment of Rs 7,300 crore for the exchequer. Despite the difficult financial situation due to the pandemic, the government has gone the extra mile to focus on one of the key pillars of promises on which the statehood movement was built. It must be pointed out that the success of any governance model will depend on how much the leadership cares for the needs of various sections of the people. The large-heartedness shown by the Telangana government towards contract workers serves as a role model in good governance. The decision to do away with contractual appointments, a legacy inherited from the combined Andhra Pradesh State, is a welcome development.
The employees had played a stellar role in the Telangana movement and made a lot of sacrifices. The TRS government has consistently adopted an employee-friendly approach and sought to address their concerns with sincerity and fairness. By giving a 30% hike in salary last year, enhancing the retirement age from 58 to 61 years and offering a 25% hike in gratuity, it has exceeded the expectations and done something that no State could match. Importantly, the contract and outsourced employees got the benefits on a par with the regular staff, a prospect unthinkable in the combined AP. Since the formation of the State in 2014, there has been a conscious and concerted effort to empower various sections of society, including protecting the interests of employees in the lower rung, in an integrated manner. Unlike the piecemeal approach of the successive regimes in the past, the TRS government made a policy shift, focusing on changing the entire ecosystem. Be it the schemes that helped transform the lives of farmers or the programmes to assist those who depend on traditional occupations, the State’s performance has been exemplary. This refreshing approach to transform the ecosystem of the rural areas and empower various social groups in an integrated manner has set the tone for the all-round development of the State.
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