Hyderabad, April 12 (RAHNUMA): Former State Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao on Sunday participated and extended his support to the employees of the electricity department at the relay hunger strikes being held under the aegis of the Electricity Union in Thorroor. The protests, aimed at resolving the issues faced by artisans, ‘unmanned’ workers and laborers employed in the electricity companies, took place within the premises of the Electricity Office located opposite the Thorrur Depot.
Speaking on this occasion, Errabelli Dayakar Rao stated During the tenure of the previous KCR government, G.O. No. 11 was introduced for the electricity workers and added that KCR recognized them as artisans, provided them with regular salaries and stood as a pillar of support for their families.
He said that By abolishing the contract system, KCR became a saviour to the electricity workers. He noted that It was specifically during KCR’s regime that the issues faced by the electricity workers were resolved and added that With the cooperation of the employees , KCR ensured 24-hour power supply across the state thereby elevating the status of farmers to that of kings.
“We will fight to bring your grievances to the attention of KCR, KTR, and Harish Rao, and to exert pressure on the government to address them,” he said .
Rao noted that the workers put forward their primary demands, which included the conversion of the artisan employees based on their educational qualifications, the implementation of APSEB Service Rules and the integration of ‘unmanned’ workers into the artisan category within TGNPDCL and TGSPDCL. “ They are demanding that the outsourcing and the contract workers—who possessed the requisite qualifications and were employed prior to 2016—be recognized as ‘Artisans,’ and that piece-rate workers be paid minimum wages in accordance with G.O. No. 11.
They demanded the immediate implementation of G.O. No. 11—which was introduced during the KCR regime—noting that the current Congress government has failed to honor the promises made by Revanth Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka prior to assuming power,” Rao recalled .
He stated that Approximately 24,000 individuals across the state have been working on a contract basis for many years and demanded that their services must be regularized.
“Six months ago, they issued strike notices to the state government demanding the resolution of their grievances. However, the government has demonstrated a complete lack of sincerity.
Due to inadequate remuneration—struggling to sustain their families on meager salaries of just ₹15,000 or ₹16,000—as many as 200 workers have lost their lives to date.
When these workers issued notices and went on strike to assert their employment-related rights, the Congress government responded by terminating the services of 1,000 workers. The government immediately reverse its decision regarding the terminated workers,” he said .
Employees from the Electricity Department, BRS party leaders and others participated in this event
