Telangana government may adopt a ‘divide and pay’ policy when it implements the recommendations of the first Pay Revision Commission (PRC). There is a high possibility of it doing so, said the leaders of various employees unions.

“We have been receiving feelers that the government is contemplating to separate teachers from the rest of the government employees,” a TNGO leader said. But such feelers may play spoilsport for the ruling TRS in the ensuing MLC elections, in which teachers are likely to have a major role. Such negative comments by the government on the PRC arrears, when TNGO leader G Devi Prasad contested the MLC elections in 2015, had resulted in his defeat, the employees recalled.

As per sources, the government logic is that teachers do not work all 365 days of the year like other staff. Thus they do not require a hefty pay hike and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years. Taking exception, the Telangana State Employees, Teachers, Pensioners, Public Sector and Contract Employees Aikya Vedika said teachers are intellectuals and their talent should not be gauged by counting the number of hours or days they work.

“Teachers are builders of the society,” said an Aikya Vedika leader. There were also proposals to separate teachers from the State government service and include them in the local bodies, the Vedika leaders said and have decided to oppose the move. “If the government does not drop its divide-and-pay attitude, the Aikya Vedika will launch a series of agitations after the Council polls,” they said.

TNGO State president M Rajender said they will meet Chief Minister KCR on Monday and request him to implement the Pay Revision Commission report at the earliest by treating all employees equally. “In the past, when there was an election code, the then CM Chandrababu Naidu had taken permission from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and implemented the seventh PRC in unified Andhra Pradesh. Chandrasekhar Rao too should take the ECI’s permission and implement the PRC,” Rajender said.

Reposing faith in the State government, he recalled that KCR himself had announced a pay hike for all the 9.3 lakh employees. “We will request him to treat teachers on par with State government employees,” he said.

Also Read: Singareni To Plant 2 Lakh Seedlings In A Single Day Under Green Initiative