Setback for revenue staff stir

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 26. The statewide strike by revenue staff got a setback on its 16th day on Wednesday with the village administrative officers and village servants deciding to defer the plan to launch their own indefinite strike from Wednesday night after talks with the Government.

At the talks held by the Principal Secretary, Mr K. C. Mishra, the Government promised to settle all the demands of both groups and also resolve the strike by the revenue staff after briefing the Chief Minister about it. It may be recalled that the organisations representing the 16,000-odd VAOs and 52,000 gram sevaks in the State--Andhra Pradesh VAOs Federation and Andhra Pradesh Gram Sevakas' Sangham, have been openly supporting the agitation by the revenue staff and their own strike, if launched as planned, would have further affected the administration.

According to Mr D. V. N. Reddy, general secretary, AP VAOs' Federation, the Government offered to refer the issue of payscales to the VAOs to the Cabinet Sub-Committee and promised to fill the existing vacancies, give promotions and grant allowance to those VAOs holding additional charge of the present vacant posts. Regarding gram sevaks too, a promise was made to increase their salaries.

Meanwhile, the revenue staff continued with the intensification of their strike through relay fasts, rasta rokos and dharna camps at the Collectorates and the office of the Chief Commissioner for Land Administration at Hyderabad. They rejected the plea made by the Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, to call off the stir and resume duties on the ground that the non-payment of salaries for the strike period, as proposed by him, would set a precedent deterring all moves for strikes in the future.

Leaders of the AP Revenue Services Association are busy making preparations for the next move--indefinite hunger strikes at all the places from September 28. They are currently on district tours convincing the staff on such a need.

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Section  : Southern States
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