Compassionate Scheme for Singareni Dependents : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Compassionate Scheme for Singareni Dependents

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday, the 29^th September 2017, has assured that the dependent jobs under Singareni Collieries Company Limited will be continued, though not under the dependent category as it led to legal complications but on compassionate grounds. He also said that he would take the complete responsibility for providing jobs under the compassionate grounds besides announcing a slew of meausres for the welfare of the Singareni workers and employees. The TRS President has urged the workers and employees to support the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangam (TBGKS) in the forthcoming Recognition of Union elections.

Addressing a media conference at the TRS Head Quarters (The Telangana Bhavan) in Hyderabad, KCR has itemized the list of failures of the so-called national trade unions such as AITUC, INTUC, CITU, BMS, HMS as well as regional Trade Union outfits like the TNTUC. He said the National Trade Unions who were ruling the roost for so many years and decades have miserably failed to work for the welfare of the workers. They Infact worked against the interests of the workers and were responsible for totally leaving the rights on Dependent jobs and they kept quiet when not a single job was given in the Singareni from 1980 to 2014.

Explaining in detail, KCR said that as the TRS Chief he had the responsibility to declare what he would do if the workers support the TBGKS and what the TRS government did so far. CM said that, “Prior to TRS coming to power in the newly formed State, both AITUC and INTUC affiliated to the Communist and Congress respectively were the recognized Unions.  TBGKS took birth as part of the Telangana Statehood movement. What TBGKS did when the TRS came to power in 2014, every worker knows. In 1998 and 2002, the national trade Unions have virtually signed on the death warrant of dependent jobs. They have signed an agreement with the management that they would not ask for the jobs under the dependent category. The agreements papers are here to show as proof. The reasons behind this are that the governments under the united AP, which happened to be the Congress and TDP, have failed to understand anything about the Singareni. Initially, I also did not know. But my friends and local leaders have explained to me about the problems and issues and I have studied them as part of the Telangana Movement and thus I understood nitty and gritty of the problems. I have realised how harsh and hard for the workers especially those working inside the mines. Most of their lives are shortened by 10 years and they would fall victims to all kind of health issues due to strenuous job they do”.

CM further said that, “When we tried to fill the dependent jobs, certain cliques of vested interests approached the High Court. The Court has dismissed the appointments due to some legal issues. The High Court was right. Since then I have spoken to legal experts and some retired judges who said that there would be a problem if we make appointments under dependent category. If these appointments are made under compassionate grounds there should not be any problem they suggested. Singareni is a company and it has its own guidelines. Accordingly, we will change the process and I assure the workers that each and every dependent job will be given under the compassionate grounds. Unfortunately, there are some gangs formed to put obstacles to the government initiatives, be it irrigation projects, Singareni appointments, regularisation of the temporary employees or anything of that sort.  These gangs file cases in the courts and obtain stay orders. On Kaleswaram project alone 190 cases were filed. Once if they failed at the court they approach the Green tribunal.  On the jobs under compassionate grounds, we will ask the medical board to meet once in two months.”

Stating that about 75 percent of the jobs can be given under the compassionate grounds, KCR said for the rest of them there are three options. They can settle for one-time package of Rs 25 Lakh compensation, which is increased from Rs 12.5 Lakh by the TRS government. The beneficiaries can take Rs. 25000 as a monthly salary until completion of their service.  He said that there are about 14, 000 to 19,000 employees and workers as Alias workers who are at the mercy of everyone. “The so called national trade unions have not done anything to solve their misery. The TRS government has decided to guarantee them 100 percent jobs on their own names. This will happen in next 40 to 50 days. Medical facilities to the children and parents of the workers will be extended from the corporate hospital services in Hyderabad. Rs 6 lakh interest free loan will be given to the workers for constructing their houses. Workers profit sharing is enhanced from 16 percent to 21 percent. Festival advance for Dussehra festival is also increased. As demanded by the workers, professional tax is abolished which amounts to Rs 175 crore per year”.

About the removal of Income Tax, the state had already passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly and sent to the Centre said CM. “TRS MPs in the Parliament will exert pressure on the Centre and for this they may enlist support from workers working in the mines all over the country. Ex-gratia amount for workers was only Rs one lakh when Chandrababu Naidu was the CM of united AP. The TRS lead an agitation and influenced Chandrababu Naidu government to increase it to Rs 6 lakhs. When TRS came to power it was increased to Rs 25 Lkah.  For a normal death the compensation is increased from Rs 5 Lakh to Rs 25 Lakh. The TRS government also cleared 3525 dependent jobs and reinstated 500 dismissed employees. The TRS government has also taken steps to make the Singareni a true global company to extend its operations both within and outside the country. But due to fall in the coal prices all over the world, the proposals were kept on hold. We have plans to hand over Bayyaram mines to the Singareni and have sent proposals to the Centre. This is how Telangana State is reinventing itself. With all the pro-worker measures, I am sure the workers will support the TBGKS. The indications are that TBGKS will get majority in all the 11 Divisions and I have a feed back on this. I myself will review the Singareni for two hours every month and this is my assurance,” KCR said.

Referring to how pro-workers government is TRS, KCR recalled how the TSRTC was revived and how all the power generation projects were given to the TS Genco and Public-Sector Undertakings but not to the private companies.

Jwalasmusings (30-09-2017)