Telangana partly agrees to priests

Hyderabad The TS government on Thursday reached out to archakas and temple staff, who have been on strike for a week, and agreed to their demands with some riders. A final round of talks will be held on September 10.

Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy and senior officials agreed to most demands of the Telangana Archaka and Temple Staff JAC.

The 6,000-odd archakas and temple staff are demanding salaries and perks on par with government employees, regularisation of 2,000-odd temporary employees and payment of salaries through the government treasury.

“The government is positively inclined towards the demands of archakas and temples staff,” Mr Indrakaran Reddy told JAC convenor Bhanumurthy and others.

Mr Bhanumurthy told DC that there was agreement on all demands. “The government proposed that salaries will be paid not under GO Ms 010 but in another form. Though we are sceptical about it, we want to look into the government proposals. A breakthrough looks imminent,” he said.

The JAC requested Mr Indrakaran Reddy and government adviser Dr K.V. Ramanachary to convey the government acceptance of their demands at the Chalo Hyderbad rally to be held on Friday.