Karimnagar: Former field assistants of the Employment Guarantee Scheme are gearing up to field a large number of candidates in the Huzurabad Assembly byelection to protest against the state government for removing them from their jobs.
Two months ago, when the field assistants had announced that they would field 1,000 candidates, TRS leaders had called the JAC (Joint Action Committee) of field assistants for discussions. They had said that the field assistants could not be re-employed, but had promised them jobs in gram panchayats. The JAC did not agree and demanded reinstatement in their jobs.
With this, the JAC has decided to field candidates for the bypoll. In part of their action plan, the JAC expects to get 50 former field assistants file when nominations open on October 1. The JAC has deployed a special team for completing the nomination process.
The field assistants will file nominations as independent candidates and will need 10 local voters to propose their name. The JAC is working with local organisations to raise support.
Field assistants chairman Shyamalaiah said, “during previous byelections, the government assured us of reinstatement when we said we will also contest but betrayed afterwards.”
As the employment guarantee scheme was implemented successfully, the government must take all the field assistants back in their jobs, he demanded.
