KT Rama Rao tells techies to upgrade skills

Hyderabad: IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao held an emergency meeting with IT professionals on the ongoing issue of layoffs and advised techies on bettering their skill sets. 

Mr. Rao held a review with higher officials from Information Technology and Labour Departments, and representatives from Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA).

During the review, founder TITA president Mr. Sundeep Kumar Makthala said the situation for employees was distressful but the current phase could be dealt with if proper measures were taken.

“While the industry must take a rational approach towards cost cutting and layoffs, the state government must ensure ousted employees are accommodated in state-run IT programmes,” he said.

The meeting verified laws and acts to resolve such issues to handle present cases as well as those in the future. 

IT Principal Secretary Mr. Jayesh Ranjan said IT industries were given few incentives and exemptions when the earlier government was seeking investments in Hitech City and the IT corridor.

“Incentives like land lease agreements other infrastructure and exemptions from few sections in labour laws are still being continued. We are verifying all aspects,” he said. 

Another official from the Labour Department said the government should act as a bridge between employees and companies. 

“While the government is seeking more investments through its best industrial policy TS-iPASS, it is moving carefully on the issue of Cognizant as well as techies who lost their jobs. We will organise another meeting before May 26 to give justice to the victims as well as the company,” the official said.