KCR promises compassionate jobs to Singareni dependents

Hyderabad: Rebutting the opposition criticism on dependent jobs to legal heirs of Singareni workers, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday announced that the state government has decided to change the nomenclature of dependent employment and would term it as compassionate employment scheme.

Further, KCR has decided to increase the number of diseases to be considered for medical invalidation to enable maximum number of employees avail the compassionate employment scheme.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, KCR said since the courts have objected to the proposal to offer dependent jobs to the kin of existing workers, the government has consulted legal experts, including retired judges, and came to a conclusion that there would be no legal objection to compassionate appointment which can be considered under medical grounds. The SCCL management will change its bylaws to facilitate it, he said.

With this decision nearly 80 per cent of the families will become eligible for compassionate employment. In case of dependents declining the job or not being eligible, the family will receive a onetime settlement of Rs 25 lakh or a monthly income of Rs 25,000 to the Singareni workers concerned till his retirement age, he said. The government has also decided on one-time amnesty settlement in case of ‘alias employees’ where some employees are working under false or alias names.

The Chief Minister also announced that the referral medical facility which was earlier valid only for spouse and children will now be extended to parents as well. He also promised interest-free home loan up to Rs 6 lakh for Singareni workers.

He pointed out that only due to the efforts of Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS), the SCCL management has raised the profit share from 16 per cent to 25 per cent besides increasing the Dasara advance and Diwali bonus.

He said that the TBGKS succeeded in increasing ex gratia to Rs 25 lakh for accidental deaths and Rs 20 lakh for natural deaths from a mere Rs 6 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. He said that the government was consulting with the Centre to exempt the workers from paying Income Tax.

The state Assembly had already passed a resolution and forwarded it to the Centre and the MPs would vigorously pursue the issue during the winter session of Parliament.

The Chief Minister lambasted the opposition parties for creating hurdles with regard to dependent job issue in the SCCL. He alleged that Congress and TDP created ‘gangs’ which approached the courts against every decision, including construction of irrigation projects taken by the government.

Exuding confidence that TRS affiliated workers’ union Telangana Boggu Gani Karmika Sangham (TBGKS) would emerge victorious in all the 11 divisions, the Chief minister alleged that the unions affiliated to the opposition parties exploited the workers for decades.

Stating that his government was making efforts to strengthen the SCCL further by expanding its operations to other countries, KCR said that the SCCL was also establishing thermal power plants owned by the company. Disinvestment proposal was also under pipeline, he said and claimed that his government had not only increased bonus but also share in the company profits. The proposal to take up iron ore mining at Bayyaram mines in Khammam district by SCCL was also under active consideration, he added.