SERP employees demand pay scale

Khammam: Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) employees demanded the government implementation of pay scale for them along with sanctioning equal pay for equal work as per Supreme Court order. The representatives of District and Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and SERP Joint Action Committee members staged a sit-in dharna here at Dharna Chowk in Khammam on Thursday.

Addressing the protesters, SERP JAC chairman P Anjaneyulu said that the employees of SERP are striving hard for empowering the disadvantaged communities socially, economically and culturally by removing psychological barriers through self-managed organisations. But they are facing a lot of hardships themselves.

After the formation of Telangana, the TRS government introduced several welfare schemes for uplifting the weaker sections of the society, but neglected the employees, who are working on contract basis in SERP. He demanded the government orders to be issued for continuing the services of SERP employees until 58 years by removing five years of contractual system, which is present in HRC along with enhancing Rs 10,000 for VOAs and promoting the SERP ministrial staff.

Anjaneyulu also demanded sanctioning of loans without interest and enhanced salaries for computer operators working in DRDA along with accountants working in district and mandal Samakyas and for Bima Mithras and sweepers.

CPI-ML New Democracy State secretary Potu Ranga Rao, Telangana Gazetted Officers Association State president A Srinivas Rao, TDP State vice-president Baby Swarna Kumari, Congress Legal Cell convenor M Srinivas Reddy and T-JAC district convenor Chirra Ravi extended their support to SERP employees by visiting the Dharna Chowk.

SERP employees Lakshman Rao, Venkateshwarlu, Srinivas Rao, Padma Priya, Ramakrishna, Lakshmi, Vasantha, Jayamma, Vishnu, Krishnaiah, Venkatrama Rao, Nageshwar Rao, Jyothi and Ram Babu were present along with others.