VIJAYAWADA: The impasse between the State government and employees ended on Saturday night, a day before the announced strike by the staff unions.
The breakthrough came after six-hour marathon talks between the committee of ministers and the steering committee of employees’ unions. The ministerial committee briefed Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on agreements reached at the meeting.
Soon after the talks concluded, the unions expressed their satisfaction over the outcome and announced that they are withdrawing their strike notice.
Briefing mediapersons, government advisor (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy thanked the staff unions for making the talks successful. He said employees are part of the government and their welfare is always paramount for the government.
“The government has offered employees the best package possible in spite of financial constraints it is facing due to Covid and other issues,” he said.
It was agreed to continue 23% fitment as announced earlier. With regard to HRA, in place of 8%, 16% and 24% slabs, the revised HRA slabs will be 10%, 12%, 16%, and 24%.
The HRA will be 10% in places with a population less than 50,000 with the maximum limit being Rs 11,000, 12% in places with a population between 50,000 and 2 lakh with the maximum limit being Rs 13,000, 16% in places with 2 lakh to 50 lakh population with the maximum limit being Rs 17,000, and 24% in places with more than 50 lakh population with the maximum limit being Rs 25,000, he explained.
Sajjala clarified that 16% HRA slab will be applicable to employees in all the district headquarters in the State. Employees of the Secretariat and HoDs have requested to continue the HRA promised to them for 10 years when they came from Hyderabad, he said.
Key decisions
Regularisation of village secretariat employees to be completed by June
It was agreed to let them have 24% HRA till June 2024. At present, the HRA in Hyderabad is 24%,” he elaborated and added a separate GO will be issued. The revised HRA will be applicable from January, 2022 instead of April, 2020.
Sajjala said it was agreed to continue the additional quantum of pension for retired employees in the age group of 70 to 74 and 75 to 79 years, which was scrapped earlier. It will be 7% and 12% respectively for the two groups and applicable from January 2022. It was decided to retain the State PRC with a duration of five years and not to go for the Central PRC with a duration of 10 years as decided earlier. It was agreed not to adjust the Interim Relief paid between July 1, 2019 and March 30, 2020.
It was also agreed to provide Rs 25,000 as funeral expenses instead of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 or one month salary for the deceased. Most importantly, the demand for continuing CCA was accepted. Separate GOs will be issued to make the new PRC applicable to PSUs, corporations, universities and the Public Transport Department (RTC). “As announced earlier, a road map to resolve the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) will be completed by March 2022,” Sajjala said and added regularisation of village and ward secretariat employees too will be completed by June. The government also agreed to extend medical reimbursement till EHS is streamlined. It was also agreed to make the PRC report available to employees.
PRC Struggle Committee leaders Bandi Srinivas, Suryanarayana, Boppa Raju and Venkatarami Reddy thanked the Chief Minister. “The Chief Minister has always stood by employees, which is evident with provision of 27% IR, merger of APSRTC with the government, creation of the village/ward secretariat system and now agreeing to our demands,” the leaders said.