Teacher's suicide: Telangana opposition intensify stir over controversial GO

Hyderabad: The alleged suicide by a teacher due to her transfer following a controversial order issued by the Telangana government has provided fresh ammunition to opposition parties to target the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

A woman teacher of a government school in Nizamabad district hanged herself allegedly over her transfer to another school in Kamareddy district under the Government Order (GO) 317 issued recently for transfer of employees and teachers.

B. Saraswati's relatives and other teachers alleged that she was upset over her transfer under the new zonal regulations. The woman had two children while her husband works in Qatar. Her family members said she was worried over being transferred to a distant place.

The incident in Babapur village in Bheemgal district came at a time when the BJP, the Congress and other opposition parties have been staging protests over GO 317.

Tension prevailed in the village on Monday when police stopped leaders of opposition parties from reaching the village to console the family of Saraswati.

Congress legislator Jeevan Reddy was arrested while he was on his way to the village. Some other leaders were placed under house arrest to stop them from visiting the village.

Meanwhile, the teachers' union staged a protest at the Telangana Secretariat, demanding the government to withdraw the GO. The protestors tried to lay siege to B.R.K. Bhavan but were detained by police.

Some of the teachers broke down while speaking about the hardships they faced due to transfer to far off places.

In another incident, though not apparently related to the controversial GO, a police constable committed suicide in Khammam town on Monday. Hours before his engagement, Ashok Kumar (29) was found dead in a lodge.

He was allegedly upset over his recent transfer from Bhadradri Kothagudem district to Mulugu district, as part of the transfers carried out recently in the Police Department.

Meanwhile, Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy slammed the TRS government for preventing party leaders from visiting Babapur village.

He alleged that the TRS government has caused a rift among employees by bringing the GO. He said the TRS and the BJP were supporting two rival groups.

The MP questioned the sincerity of the BJP over the issue and pointed out that it was the BJP government at the Centre which allowed the TRS government to implement the new Zonal system under the Presidential Order.

The Congress leader wondered how BJP can protest a problem which was created by it by allowing the Telangana government to implement GO 317. "If the GO is against the interests of employees and teachers, why did the BJP government allow it in the first place," he asked.

He also criticised BJP for bringing party leaders and Chief Ministers of other states to Telangana. "What is that BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay has achieved for which BJP leaders from outside are coming here and felicitating him," he asked.

The saffron party has been staging protests for the last few days against the 'illegal' arrest of Bandi Sanjay during a protest against GO 317.

Sanjay was arrested in Karimnagar on January 2 when he was sitting on a 'night vigil' at his camp office. Revanth Reddy said the TRS government tried to prevent a 10-hour protest by Sanjay at his office but allowed the party to stage protests for several days.

Meanwhile, Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao dismissed the criticism of the opposition over Go 317. He claimed that the TRS government is friendly towards employees.

Stating that only 11 per cent employees will be transferred under new guidelines, he wondered how BJP can stage a protest over implementation of Presidential Order.