Resolve issues of water board employees, Telangana Congress leader tells municipal minister in open letter

Congress leader Sravan Dasoju on Monday wrote an open letter to the municipal minister and public representatives to resolve issues of water board employees.

Sravan Dasoju said, "Due to the lack of human resources, the existing staff of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is unable to provide its best services to the people and is also suffering from health issues due to the huge workload. To have continued services in sewerage and cleanliness, the Board should immediately recruit and fill 1,680 vacancies on war footing."

The statement said that during the formation of Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had said he would eradicate the outsourcing system and assured that the word outsourcing would be deleted. "It is very unfortunate that even today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister the HMWSSB is having 1900 employees who are providing services under outsourcing and contractual basis. They were never part of any direct government beneficiary schemes like health care and PRC. The government should immediately regularize their services and implement all the benefits on par with other government employees," added Dasoju.

Congress leader said that while the entire government employees in Telangana got PRC in the month of June 2021 the HMWSSB employees were neglected. After staging various protests and representations the employees of HMWSSB were considered for PRC but the arrears are not received by the employees so far. Considering the delay the government and board should immediately release the 4/21 arrears in a single go instead of instalments, said the Congress leader in a statement.

Dasoju said, "During the pandemic, 26 employees of HMWSSB succumbed to COVID19, while providing their services to the organisation. The employees who lost their lives in the hour of duty should be compensated with Rs 1 crore ex-gratia, a double-bed room house and a job to a family member."

The Congress leader added, "In view of this confusion we demand the government to hand over the drainage and sewerage services to the highly competent and technological efficient HMWSSB."

( With inputs from ANI )