Age limit for govt staff's retirement to be increased: Etela Rajender

Health Minister Etela Rajender said the age limit for government employees’ retirement would be increased as per the electoral promise made by the TRS government soon after the Cabinet sub-committee submits its report.

He also assured to consider increasing the age limit for faculty members working in AYUSH teaching hospitals and medical colleges in the State, on the lines of faculty members in government medical and dental hospitals.

The Minister was responding to the issues raised by members in the Legislative Council on Friday. He said the Telangana government’s proposal to implement reservations for Economically Weaker Sections led to an increase of 190 medical seats in government medical colleges.

But, the Medical Council of India rejected the proposals to extend a similar procedure to private medical colleges and allow increase in the medical seats. The State Legislative Council approved four Bills, carrying out amendments to the existing laws. All the Bills, which were passed by the Assembly on Thursday, were introduced in the Council and received support from all the Council members.

Rajender introduced the amendments to the Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) Bill, while Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao introduced the amendment to the Telangana Panchayat Raj Bill for election of Zilla Parishad chairpersons and Mandal Parishad Presidents before completion of the term of the existing Zilla Parishads and Mandal Parishads.

Replying to the MLCs,



Errabelli informed the House that the government would strengthen the rural local bodies and allocate more funds to Zilla Parishads and Mandal Parishads. He said the elected representatives would be made more accountable in discharging their duties and assured that the government was ready to release matching grants for the funds released by the Centre for taking up development works in rural local bodies.

Introducing the Telangana Municipal Laws Bill, Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said the new Urban Local Bodies were established following the norms. He said gram panchayats adjacent to the municipalities were merged into the latter after obtaining public opinion. He assured that corrective measures would be taken if there were any discrepancies in delimitation of wards and also merger of gram panchayats into adjacent municipalities.

He clarified that seven new municipal corporations and 26 municipalities were established in the peripheral areas of Hyderabad following scientific methods to ensure development on par with Hyderabad.