Jagan forcing teachers to stand as security guards before liquor outlets: Lokesh

TIRUPATI: Telugu Desam General Secretary Nara Lokesh has said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is compelling even teachers to stand as security guards in front of liquor outlets.

Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh teachers federation (APTF) met Lokesh at the Bhagyanagar campsite in the Chandragiri assembly segment on Sunday and discussed their issues. They requested him to press the government for a fixed policy on transfers, salary payments on the first of the month, the facility to withdraw provident funds and insurance whenever needed and removal of the facial recognition system and the reinstatement of the biometric system.

Expressing deep concern over the alleged humiliation meted out to the teaching community, Lokesh promised the teachers that better facilities would be provided to them if and when the TD returns to power. He said both English and Telugu mediums would be reintroduced in all educational institutions.

“Except for the Jagan Reddy government, no establishment had ever registered cases against teachers who fought for their genuine demands,” he said and promised to solve all their demands once the TD formed the government.

Lokesh visited the Thanapalli level causeway that had been swept away during the floods in Nov 2021. “Such crises happen due to the incompetence of the state government and a lack of awareness about the issues at hand. CM Jagan was resting at his Tadepalli palace when the floods ravaged the area. Till now, no steps have been undertaken to rebuild the causeways that were swept away in the floods," he stated. He promised to resume the causeway construction as soon as the TD returned to power.

Interacting with representatives of the Backward Classes (BC) community in Bhagyanagar, Lokesh told them that, after TD wins the polls, funds would be distributed to the community based on the population ratio. "My primary goal is to ensure that no one in the BC community suffers from poverty. Once we retake power, I will make every effort to achieve this goal. In addition, all of the welfare schemes that have been discontinued will be restarted,” he told the community leaders.