UPA leaders fear ESMA threat may boomerang

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Even UPA allies in Jharkhand are not happy with the way State Human Resources Minister Bandhu Tirkey threatened to impose the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against agitating para-teachers.

They fear that if the impasse continues it would damage the poll prospect of the UPA in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

On Monday, UPA leaders asked Chief Minister Shibu Soren to intervene in the matter and demanded that the minister must be restrained from issuing provocative statements. The conversation took place during griha pravesh ceremony of Soren.

A day back, the minister warned agitating para-teachers to either resume their work by November 15 or be ready to face music which might result into the termination of their service.

The prominent leaders of the UPA including the Union Minister of State of Food and Processing Industries, Subodh Kant Sahay, RJD MLA Girinath Singh and some others asked Soren to resolve the deadlock before it could trigger off a major casualty for UPA in the forth coming general elections. Soren is learnt to have assured UPA leaders to take up this matter.

Well-placed sources said that these leaders asked Soren to accept the genuine demands of the para-teachers on the basis of the recommendations made by the Girinath Singh Committee, which recommended a hike of Rs 3,800, Rs 4,500 and Rs 5,100 respectively for the para-teachers.

The sources also confided that Sahay not only criticised the Minister for adopting tough posture against the teacher but also called it unbecoming. A senior Congress leader and MLA said on the condition of anonymity that UPA allies were worried over the deadlock and the minister was yet to realize that the opposition would loose no time to make it poll plank to baulk UPA during elections.

Their fear is not unfounded as teachers who have the maximum deployment during poll can turn the apple cart of UPA. Jharkhand Congress is more aware of this fact as one of its prominent leaders lost election in the past for locking horns with the teachers of the State.

Meanwhile at a Press conference on Tuesday, the Para-Teachers Association demanded the minister to withdraw his statement about imposing ESMA. Terming Tirkey unfit to hold such a ministry of crucial importance, Kalim Javed, secretary of the organisation affirmed to continue the fight in democratic way.

He also appealed Soren to intervene in the matter and regularize the service of para-teachers and accept the recommendations as per the report of Girinath Singh Committee.