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Contract staff stir worries prospective students
Fate of hundreds of students who want to take admission into various courses offered by Prof G Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education (PGRRDCE) seems to be hanging in balance as the contract employees of Osmania University are on strike demanding regularisation of jobs.
Hyderabad: Fate of hundreds of students who want to take admission into various courses offered by Prof G Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education (PGRRDCE) seems to be hanging in balance as the contract employees of Osmania University are on strike demanding regularisation of jobs.
The PGRRDCE, which commenced admissions into various undergraduate and postgraduate courses, has extended the date of admissions till November 30 without any late fee. But unfortunately, there is no staff member on duty to accept and verify the certificates.
As a result, the students who visit the distance education centre to submit their applications are in a state of confusion on how to proceed with their admission. Of all the counters at the PGRRCDE, only two centres are kept open. Also, there is only one female staff at the counter to inform that all the other employees are on strike. On asking whom to contact and what to do, the woman staff is asking candidates to call on the phone numbers displayed on the flexi and come back later accordingly. When phoned to those numbers, there is no response and some of the landline phone receivers are kept off the hook.
The aspirants who come to submit their applications for various courses at PGRRDCE are going back hopeless. On asking when would the strike be called off and when the counters will be opened, the security personnel and the woman said it was actually a 10-day strike. However, if the government does not accept their demands, it may continue further.
Swapna, who finished M Com from the distance college came to collect her transfer certificate, said she needed the TC at the earliest to submit it at the B Ed college where she joined recently. “Generally, it is a one-day procedure to collect the TC. However, as there is no staff and officials to speak at the college, I don’t really know what to do,” she added.
Another woman, who is pursuing M A (English) from the college, came there along with her son to get her name corrected as there is a spelling mistake in her name. She said she came from Suraram and it was really tough for her to travel to OU with his son. Another man, who wanted admission into M A (English), said there was no one at the counters to at least provide information.
The security personnel at PGRRDCE said it was common and there was nothing to worry about admissions. The strike is being led by fourth class non-teaching staff for regularisation of jobs. Supporting the strike, Dalit Bahujan Students’ Association president Sharath Chamar said these employees had been working in the university for the past 25 years. There was no basic facility like PF and their wages are also very low, he said and added that even a contract woman employee did not get maternity leave. “These fourth-class employees actively participated in the Telangana struggle. They expected that at least the TRS government would help them, but in vain,” he said.
By: Togara Ramadevi
