The Hindu : Archakas, Potu workers threaten direct action

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 28, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Archakas, Potu workers threaten direct action

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI March 27. In a significant development in the on-going tussle between the TTD management and the Archakas and Potu workers working in various TTD temples over regularisation of their services, their one day convention unanimously resolved to resort to direct action in a phased manner from April 8 if the management did not concede their demand. Their demand as reiterated through an unanimous resolution at Wednesday's convention was that the Government and the TTD management should implement the Supreme Court order and the subsequent G.O issued reportedly ordering regularisation of their services as a relief measure in the wake of the abolition of the `Mirasis' in the State.

Copies of the resolutions adopted were released to the press here on Thursday, by G. R. S. Babu, honorary president of the TTD Potu Workers Union, which is spearheading the agitation.

According to an action plan, a delegation with the local MLA, Ch. Krishnamurthy also participating, would meet the TTD Executive Officer, Ajeya Kallam, on Friday and seek his intervention into the issue which has been hanging fire for nearly six years now.

The convention fixed April 5 as the deadline for the TTD management to concede to its demand failing which the TTD and Padmavathi Ammavari Temple (PAT) Archakas, Potu workers, Parichakas, Tulasi Brahmins etc., would take out a rally on April 8 and organise a dharna on April 10.

Besides getting itself affiliated to the A.P. State Archaka Samakhya, the State Government-recognised trade union arm of the temple priests, the TTD Archaka and Potu staff have also mobilised support of the non-TDP municipal ward councillors with whose help they propose to take out a procession through all the 36 wards in the town to muster public support.

As a last resort, they have decided to launch a relay hunger strike with their spouses in front of the TTD administrative office to bring pressure on the management to implement the G.O. without any further delay.

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