GO 317 Victims Demand Immediate Relief

 Hyderabad: Employees affected by GO 317 said that if no decision was made by September 15 on its revocation, they would organise a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ march in the last week of September. Many victims feel they have been waiting in vain for eight months.

“If the issue remains unresolved, the Congress government will face widespread criticism from the employees and teachers who played a crucial role in its victory,” said Divija Burra, an employee.

GO 317, introduced by the previous BRS government, mandates transfers and reassignments, causing significant upheaval in the lives of many employees who are now separated from their families and forced to relocate hundreds of kilometres.

Despite the Congress government forming a sub-committee to address these grievances, progress has been slow, the employees said. “We were hopeful that the Congress would address the issues caused by GO 317 as promised. However, we have yet to see substantial action. Sub-committee chairman Damodar Rajanarsimha, who was initially proactive now seems reluctant to engage with victims,” said V.S. Ramana, a teacher affected by the GO.

“Sub-committee members Ponnam Prabhakar and Sridhar Babu have also expressed doubts about how to address the concerns of such a large group fairly. We are setting aside our Ganesha festival celebrations to fight this,” said M. Anjaneyulu, another affected employee.

Employees said that resolving the issue wasn’t financially burdensome for the government and could be achieved with a single government order. “If the government is committed to its promises, it can resolve this within a day. There’s no financial strain involved,” stated Nageshwar Rao Boina, spokesperson for the GO 317 victims.