VIJAYAWADA: The State government has invited the leaders of the employees’ associations for holding talks with the Committee of Ministers on Tuesday. In a letter addressed to 20 members of the PRC steering committee, the GAD Principal Secretary requested them to attend the meeting with the Committee of Ministers at 12 pm in the conference hall of the Finance Department in the State Secretariat on Tuesday. Likewise, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma directed the District Collectors to hold talks with the leaders of employees’ associations and convince them to withdraw their agitation. Stating that there is a separate mechanism in the government to solve the problems of employees, he said that every employee should think about the consequences of the strike during the Covid pandemic.
He suggested that the Collectors give a message to the employees that the government is with them and take steps to sensitise them to give up their agitation and resolve the issues through talks. Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, who is a member of the Ministers Committee, asserted that salaries will be credited to employees as per the orders issued by the government for implementing the new PRC. He faulted the employees’ leaders for not holding talks with the government panel even as the members waited for them for three days.
Botcha along with Government Advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and officials called on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday. “Though we invited the employees’ leaders for talks and waited for three days, they did not turn up,” Botcha told reporters. Asserting that employees are part of the government, the minister said they should understand the situation of the State and cooperate with the government. He also said the employees should desist from making objectionable statements.
Meanwhile, leaders of the steering committee of the PRC Struggle Committee met on Monday and reiterated that they were ready for talks if the government invites them in written format and concedes to their demands — disclose the Ashutosh Mishra Committee report, put the PRC GOs in abeyance and pay old wages to the employees for the month of January. The leaders accused the government of conspiring to dilute the ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ programme by resorting to false propaganda through social media. Alleging that the IAS officers, particularly the higher officials of the Finance department, threatened the employees of taking disciplinary action, the leaders said they will not hesitate to lodge a complaint with the DOPT against such IAS officers.