VIJAYAWADA: The State government employees on Tuesday warned that they would not hesitate to launch an agitation in a phased manner if the government does not resolve the issues related to release of Dearness Allowance arrears and Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations, apart from ensuring that their salaries are paid on the first day of every month.
A delegation of AP JAC and AP JAC Amaravati met Advisor to Government (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and submitted a representation raising their grievances. The employees’ association leaders pointed out that the government was not paying the salaries and pensions promptly and there was an inordinate delay.
“The retired employees were not paid their pensions this month even on 12th (Tuesday),’’ they said and added that the retired staff are also not being paid benefits like gratuity, GPF and leave encashment.The JAC leaders demanded that the government ensure payment of salaries to regular, contract and outsourcing employees and pensions on the first day of every month.
They explained the hardships being faced by the employees with the delay in payment of salaries and pensions and the delay in release of DA arrears and announcement of PRC and said they would launch an agitation if their issues were not resolved.In the memorandum, they urged Sajjala to discuss the issues with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. They urged the government to announce pay revision as a Dasara gift.
Responding to their demand, Sajjala said the Chief Minister has already discussed the grievances of the employees with higher officials. However, he said the issues of the employees will be taken to the notice of the Chief Minister once again as sought by the JAC leaders so as to make a favourable announcement in a day or two. Apart from Sajjala, the JAC leaders submitted a representation to Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, seeking an announcement on the implementation of the PRC recommendations and release of pending DA arrears.
The representations were submitted by AP JAC chairman Bandi Srinivasa Rao, secretary general G Hrudaya Raju, AP JAC Amaravati chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu and Secretary General Y V Rao and other leaders. The JAC leaders said Sajjala assured them that a meeting would be arranged with the Chief Minister in two days to discuss their demands and pending issues.
The JACs leaders expressed serious displeasure over the non-payment of five instalments of enhanced dearness allowance that was due since July 1, 2018. They wanted the first two instalments of DA arrears paid by December 31, 2021.
“There is a growing feeling among employees that the government was neglecting them. There is unrest among them as even their legitimate concerns were not addressed for the past two years,’’ the leaders said.
They demanded abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme as promised by the Chief Minister and sought the regularisation of contract staff recruited through the District Selection Committee.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the Finance department for failing to pay the salaries and pensions on time, they also wanted the government to cancel the Comprehensive Financial Management System introduced by the previous TDP government.