Telangana: RFCL job scam snowballing into big controversy

Peddapalli: Irregularities in recruitment of temporary posts in Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) are snowballing into a big controversy with various political parties and people’s organizations demanding a comprehensive probe into the incident. While the victims who joined in various posts after paying huge bribe amounts, are demanding their money back, political parties are planning […]

Peddapalli: Irregularities in recruitment of temporary posts in Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) are snowballing into a big controversy with various political parties and people’s organizations demanding a comprehensive probe into the incident. While the victims who joined in various posts after paying huge bribe amounts, are demanding their money back, political parties are planning to intensify the agitation since about Rs 45 crore were collected from innocent youth in the name of jobs.

Former MLA and BJP party constituency in-charge, Somarapu Satyanarayana has decided to stage a hunger strike at Godavarikhani chowk on Tuesday in support of the victims. However, the police foiled his plans by making his house arrest. On the other hand, local MLA Korukanti Chander two days ago constituted a committee along with 18 members to go into the details of the jobs scam.

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Some of the second rung political leaders had collected money from unemployed youth promising them to provide permanent jobs in RFCL. Though rumors had been making rounds about collection of bribes from unemployed youth to provide employment in RFCL, it came to light after former APSRTC chairman Gone Prakash Rao revealing irregularities in recruitment of jobs by organizing a press meet a few weeks ago.

A victim said on the condition of anonymity that about Rs 7 to Rs 8 lakh were collected for each job. About 600 unemployed youth paid money to leaders for different jobs such as store keeper, computer operators, technical assistant, supervisor and others jobs. Except a few, almost a majority of them had already joined in the duties. Though they are contract based jobs, leaders promised aspirants that their services would be regularized over a period of time.

However, the issue again came to the fore with the removal of some of the employees from jobs following the change of contractor recently. Helpless youth began agitating demanding the leaders to rejoin them in the duty besides return of their money paid for the purpose of the job since they were not permanent jobs. They met leaders of all political parties seeking their help.

As the issue turned serious, MLA Chander constituted a committee along with 18 members to go into the details of the jobs scam. Asking the leaders to return the money back to employees, the legislator warned that serious action would be initiated against anyone if they failed to return money to victims.