Date:25/02/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/02/25/stories/2005022511320400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP stages walkout

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 24. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) staged a walkout in the Assembly on Thursday protesting against the failure of the Government to renew the contract of 6,906 Multi-Purpose Extension Officers (MPEOs) which expired in September last.

Leading the walkout during question hour, Leader of the Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, said the removal from service of such a large workforce had hit the agriculture extension work in the State. The Government was not committed to address the problems of the agriculture sector.

The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, asserted that the MPEOs were appointed by the previous TDP Government purely on a contract basis for the limited purpose of forming Rytu Mitra groups.

They were first appointed in 2003 for nine months and the term was extended by five months subsequently.

Action defended: Mr. Reddy said the appointment of MPEOs for short terms as nine and five months displayed the Government's intentions to utilise their services only on contract basis.

The Minister said the qualified candidates among the MPEOs would be given weightage in marks for selection as agricultural officers and agricultural extension officers (AEOs). The Government would fill 942 posts in the two categories shortly. He blamed the TDP Government for scrapping 1,375 posts of AEOs and deciding not to take up their recruitment anymore in future.

Medical College campus: Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister, K. Rosaiah, responding to a question on the fate of the old premises of the Gandhi Medical College at Basheerbagh in Hyderabad, said it would be transferred to the Tourism Department for developing malls and shopping complexes. He added that the new college premises at Musheerabad was constructed with a loan of Rs. 180 crores. It was the previous Government, which had decided to repay the loan by letting out the old premises for commercial purposes.

Welfare of auto drivers: Answering a question on welfare measures for autorickshaw drivers, Labour Minister G. Vinod said it was proposed to implement a comprehensive social security scheme for them, replicating the Kerala and Tamil Nadu models.