Paswan hints at regularising EDs

By Our Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE, AUG. 25. The Union Minister for Communications, Mr. Ramvilas Paswan, today hinted at regularising the extra- departmental (ED) staff in the Postal Department in due course.

Responding to queries of the media persons at the airport here regarding the warning of the postal employees' unions that they would go on strike if the settlement that they had signed four months ago was not implemented by September 1, he said one of their major demands was regularisation of the ED staff.

But the Union Finance Ministry was opposed to it.

There were two types of employees - those working for more than five hours and less than five hours. Due to absence of recruitment for the past more than one-and-a -half decades, there were such employees who had been working even for 15 years in the same capacity.

In order to provide additional work to the employees who were working less than five hours, there was a proposal to set up ``communication centres'' (Sanchar Dhaba) in all village post offices. These centres would have all telecom facilities apart from postal activities. Thus they would be asked to do ``multifarious'' work and there was possibility of these temporary staff being regularised.

With regard to their other demands like implementation of Talawar Committee recommendations, a committee had been constituted under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Postal Services, involving officers from the Telecommunication Department.

While reiterating the Government's assurance to the telecom employees that they would not be adversely affected by corporatisation, Mr. Paswan, today made it clear ``corporatisation is Government policy and employees' unions have nothing do with it''.

``We have already met the union leaders twice and even the Prime Minister has met them and we have assured them that all their genuine demands with regard to pension, job guarantee and financial liabilities would be fulfilled before corporatisation''.

He also pointed out that four committees had been constituted headed by various Secretaries. Besides, a Group of Ministers under his chairmanship had also been constituted.

While the secretaries were studying the intra-departmental issues and other problems, the Group of Ministers would decide on policy matters that could not be considered at the official level.

``Already about 80 per cent of their demands have been met.'' The Secretaries would meet again in a couple of days to discuss the rest.

G>The recommendations would be in the form of a ``package''. In case of certain demands where there was a lot of difference of opinion between the Government and the employees" we will have arbitration or create a tribunal''.

Mr. Paswan also admitted that the private sector had failed to fulfil its obligation with regard to providing village telephony."As against the target of 98,000 villages allotted to them, they have provided the facility only in 12 ''.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Defamation suit: Malhotra pays Swamy special cost
Next     : Massive relief work on in nine districts