VIJAYAWADA: The Group of Ministers (GoM) has decided to implement Minimum Time Scale (MTC) to contract staff working in health and higher education departments. It is also contemplating implementing the same to contract staff working in other departments.
The GoM, comprising ministers Yanamala Ramakrishnudu (Finance), Ganta Srinivasa Rao (HRD) and NMD Farooq (Medical Education), which met at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi on Thursday, also decided to sanction six-month maternity leave to contract women staff. The GoM’s decision on MTC will benefit 23,372 contract employees in the Health department and 3,802 contract staff in the Higher Education department. As of now, lecturers working in degree colleges and universities are getting wages for 10 months in a year. However, once the Cabinet approved the GoM’s recommendations, they will get wages for 12 months except for 10 days in a year. The GoM also decided to enhance the retirement age of contract staff to 60 years from 58.
Disclosing the details to mediapersons, HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that the GoM discussed all the issues raised by the contract employees and resolved almost all of them, including job security.
However, the Opposition YSRC accused the State government of lacking sincerity on resolving the contract staff issue.