Teachers and Workers’ JAC leaders Bopparaju Venkateswarlu and Bandi Srinivasa Rao said they were prepared to go on a showdown with the government after January 9 if their demands continued to be cold-shouldered.
The duo addressed a press conference here on Monday where they alleged that certain ‘vested interests’ were scuttling their attempts to meet Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in order to give him a first-hand account of their problems. “Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy would certainly consider our demands positively but the issues raised by us are being dragged beyond a limit as the officials concerned are painting a wrong picture,” Mr. Venkateswarlu said, adding that the JAC does not trust the officials and would like to personally meet the Chief Minister in order to place the facts before him.
The JAC leaders said the deliberations were stuck with the bureaucracy and with Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, even as the legitimate rights of employees were being deprived. They added that the Chief Minister was being misled on the issue, and stated that this was why they were particular that they wanted direct meetings with him.
The employee unions’ leaders said protests would be staged at the district-level after January 9 if the government did not respond to their genuine demands by that date.
Work-to-rule and pen-down strikes would then be organised. Later, a call would be given for ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ to mount pressure on the government, the JAC leaders said, while exuding confidence that they would be able to convince the Chief Minister regarding their stand. Going on strike would be a last resort, the leaders said.
