VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday directed officials of the Finance department to clear pending bills inherited from the previous government.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister enquired about the status of pending payments to serving and retired government employees and issued directives for clearing these dues.
As per the directions of the Chief Minister, steps have been initiated to release pending bills amounting to Rs 7,358 crore, providing major relief to employees.
Officials said that Rs 1,848 crore towards Provident Fund dues was credited directly into employees’ accounts and Rs 76 crore was disbursed under Group Life Insurance covering 4,793 beneficiaries.The other payments in progress include Rs 3,411 crore towards gratuity dues, Rs 1,800 crore towards leave encashment for retired employees and Rs 223 crore towards additional surrendered leave dues for police personnel.
These payments are expected to be completed within the next two days.
The Chief Minister directed that all pending dues, including employee-related and other bills, should be cleared systematically based on fund availability.
During the review, past issues related to employee funds under the previous regime were also discussed. It was noted that diversion of employee funds had caused hardships, and even those who raised concerns reportedly faced legal harassment.
The Chief Minister also reviewed pending payments to contractors and material suppliers. Officials stated that Rs 614 crore was paid to small contractors for works executed and materials supplied.
The Chief Minister emphasised that priority must be given to small contractors in clearing pending bills.