JANGAON: Giving credit to government employees for rapid progress the State witnessed in the last eight years, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday delivered good news for them in the form salary hikes and special allowances.Speaking during a review meeting at the District Collectorate here, he announced that the salaries of employees would be increased once again and they would also get promotions. Those working in remote areas would be provided with special allowances, he said.
The Chief Minister said that it is due to the efforts of employees and officers, the State escaped from the clutches of recurring droughts and witnessed tremendous progress. “The State will not face droughts in future,” Rao said. Highlighting the developments seen in the State, he said: “Land values increased to Rs 3 crore per acre in the districts and the minimum value of agriculture land is Rs 15 lakh per acre. If any farmer has three acres, he is a crorepati in now. Even in Vasalamarri village, the cost of one acre land touched Rs 1 crore.”
He also said that even a villa costs around Rs 25 crore in Hyderabad and people from Delhi and Mumbai were coming to the State capital to buy villas. Rao also called upon the government employees to continue with their efforts as the State’s economy is set to increase manifold in future. “The per capita income of the State will soon touch Rs 2.7 lakh from the present Rs 2.37 lakh. The AP’s per capita income is just Rs 1.7 lakh.”
“Don’t be scared if there are any minor issues. We will discuss and solve those issues. The employees are not willing to go to the remote areas for work. If the employees do not want to go to areas like Bhupalpally, how can the State develop,” Rao wondered and added that along with Hyderabad, all other 32 districts in the State should be developed. “All these districts are like 33 growth centres,” he said.
The Chief Minister also asked the officials to provide retirement benefits to the employees on their last working day. Rao’s announcements and directions seem to be an attempt to win back the government employees as they were agitated after the government implemented the GO 317 with regard to allocation and transfer of employees in the newly formed districts. Ministers E Dayakar Rao, Satyavathi Rathod and Vemula Prasanth Reddy were present on the occasion.