Uttam calls for regularisation of jr panchayat secretaries

Hyderabad: Nalgonda MP and former TPCC president Capt N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has demanded that the state government regularise junior panchayat secretaries (JPS) and address their other concerns.

In an open letter to the Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday, he called for immediate action to support JPSs who have been on strike for the past 13 days, stalling development in villages.

He pointed out that the Junior Panchayat Secretaries were appointed after completing their three-year probationary period on April 11, 2022, and were expecting regularization. However, the Chief Minister announced in the Assembly that the probationary period would be extended by another year.

Despite completing this extension on April 11, the government is yet to make a decision on regularization, prompting the secretaries to go on strike.  

He said that the striking secretaries have valid demands. Instead of addressing their concerns, the BRS government has threatened to remove them from their duties if they do not end the strike and return to work. He highlighted the secretaries’ responsibilities for 56 types of duties and maintaining more than 42 records in the gram panchayat, often working 12-hour days and leading to exhaustion. The intense workload and lack of regularisation have had severe consequences, with some secretaries committing suicide due to mental anguish, and 44 others dying due to health-related issues.

The Congress MP said that the Congress would not only support their struggle but also prepare for direct action on their behalf if the government fails to address their concerns.

Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded the state government recognise the service rendered by JPSs from April 2019 to the present, provide compassionate appointments for family members of deceased secretaries, regularize OPS (Out Sourcing Secretary) positions, and grant six months of maternity leave and 90 days of child care leave for female JPSs.