NE NEWS SERVICE
AMARAVATI, FEB 6
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) Struggle Committee on Sunday thanked each other over the agreement to effect certain changes in the pay revision that ended the three-week-old agitation.
The agreement was arrived at on Saturday after talks for over two days. The pact was between the government committee of ministers and the PRC Struggle Committee. Following this, the employees withdrew the notice for an indefinite strike that was to be launched from Sunday midnight.
“There can be no one else as liberal as me. We may not have given as much as you expected but in the prevailing circumstances we did whatever best we can. I am not there without you,” the Chief Minister told the Struggle Committee members who called on him on this afternoon.
On January 7, the Chief Minister announced the pay revision with a fitment of 23 percent.The relevant orders issued on January 17 allegedly kicked up a storm as the employees, teachers and pensioners opposed the new scale of pay as there were a cut in house rent allowance (HRA) and an abolition of the city compensatory allowance.
The government, in its orders, said there would not be any State Pay Revision Commission henceforth but only the Central Pay Commission the recommendations of which would be adopted once in 10 years.
Besides, the government sought to recover the interim relief paid since July 2019. Also, the additional quantum of pension being given to retired employees over the age of 70 years was withdrawn. This was protested against by the employees, teachers and pensioners who hit the streets over the past few days demanding immediate withdrawal of the GOs.
Addressing reporters after the the talks, government advisor (public affairs) S R K Reddy said the discussion ended on a fruitful note as the government agreed to revise the HRA slabs as per the population (of a location).
The employees in all the district headquarters would now get a 16 percent HRA. State Secretariat and Head of Department would get a 24 per cent HRA till June 2024. This is, however, six percent less than what they have been getting so far.
“The revised HRA slab will be applicable from January this year. Similarly, retired employees in the 70-74 age group will get a seven percent additional quantum of pension and those in the 75-79 age group will get 12 percent,” he said.
The City Compensatory Allowance that was abolished as per the January 17 pay revision orders would now be restored. The government agreed also to have the State’s own Pay Revision Commission every five years as demanded by the employees. The government had earlier said it would do away with the PRC and adopt the Central Pay Commission recommendations once in 10 years a move opposed by the employees.
“The additional burden on account of the pay revision will now be Rs 11,577 crore a year. I just want you to know this,” Jagan told the PRC Struggle Committee.
On the long-pending demand for abolition of the contributory pension scheme and restoration of the old pension scheme, the Chief Minister told the committee that the government was working on it. “We will come up with a good solution. We will make you, too, a part of this,” the Chief Minister added.
