VIJAYAWADA: Tension prevailed in the city on Tuesday after police detained members of the United Teachers’ Federation (UTF) as they tried to organise ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ programme at Lenin Centre. The Federation had sought to conduct a 36-hour relay hunger strike at the Gymkhana Grounds or Dharna Chowk, but the police denied it.
Additional police forces were deployed at the UTF State office, where the State president of the Federation and secretaries were detained. B Srinivasulu, an arrested UTF leader from Nellore, alleged that the government owes them Rs 18,000 crore in arrears in the past five years. Their primary demands were timely payment of salaries and clearing of dues.
Stating that they were demanding the Chief Minister to fulfil his promises, he criticised the government for denying them permission to conduct peaceful protests. He insisted on the abolition of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), while advocating for a 30 per cent hike in Interim Relief (IR) and urged the government to announce an Ordinary Pay Scale (OPS) instead of a Grade Pay Scale (GPS).