No word on CPS, health cards: Revanth Reddy’s OU speech disappoints employees

Osmania University staff expressed disappointment after CM Revanth Reddy’s campus address failed to mention CPS, health cards, promotions, or regularisation issues. While welcoming Rs 1,000 crore for campus development, teachers and employees said their long-pending demands were ignored

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s much anticipated address to the Osmania University community on Wednesday ended in disappointment and frustration for teaching and non-teaching staff, who said not even one of their long-pending issues was either assured or mentioned in the speech.

The Osmania University Teaching and Non-Teaching Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) has long been demanding implementation of a contributory pension scheme (CPS) and health cards for all varsity employees.

---

Apart from timely reviewing and implementing CAS promotions for regular teachers, and justice to 47 faculty members who were rejected promotions, the JAC wanted the State government regularise contract faculty and non-teaching contract employees who served the university for a long time.

The teachers demanded Revanth Reddy honour his promise of implementing UGC pay scale besides extending job security to the contract faculty.

They also sought an upgrade of part-time faculty to assistant professor contract posts. Further, part-time faculty wanted weightage to their services as per the GO 21.

In fact, the JAC submitted these demands to the State government. However, the Chief Minister conveniently ignored these demands. He asked the university to go for the recruitment and said that there would be no political or middlemen intervention in the hiring.

Welcoming the order sanctioning Rs 1,000 crore towards OU development, OUTA president Prof B Manohar said apart from infrastructure, the State government must address teaching and non-teaching staff issues for university’s holistic development.

“We are disappointed a lot after the Chief Minister’s speech. We expected him to address the issue of CPS, which has been pending for the last 15 years. Further, we have also been asking for health cards for all employees. Regularisation of teaching and non-teaching staff who have long been working at the university is sought. However, none of our issues have been addressed,” he added.