Andhra Pradesh CM holds talks with employees' unions on Pay Revision Commission

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a discussion on Thursday with Joint Staff Council on issues related to Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and assured that all the issues of employees will be addressed.

As per the release issued by Chief Minister Office (CMO), the Chief Minister said he has noted all the concerns raised by the employees' unions and assured them that all the issues will be addressed. An announcement on PRC will be made within 2-3 days.

Reddy said, "he is more compassionate, humanitarian and responsive when it comes to doing good to others and added that it is inevitable to consider certain facts in regard to PRC."

He said the revenue of the state would generally increase by 15 per cent every year and added that it was not the case in the last two years.

Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) and State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) revenues were decreased in December compared to November and urged the employees' unions to accept any decision of the state government, he said.

The Chief Minister said State Own Revenues (SORs) were Rs 62,503 crore in 2018-19 and it was decreased to Rs 60,934 crores in 2019-20 and in 2020-21, it was Rs 60,688 crore.

He said the expenditure for employees salaries and pensions was Rs 52,513 crore in 2018-19 while it has been increased to Rs 67,340 crore in 2020-21 and the increase in the expenditure is due to the decisions taken by the government for the benefit of the employees.

The salaries of Anganwadi and Asha workers, contract and outsourcing employees were increased and the expenditure on their salaries has also been increased from Rs 1,198 crore to Rs 3,187 crore per annum, he said.

The government has implemented minimum time scale and other benefits for contract employees and extended it to employees of government departments, Universities, Societies, KGBV, model schools and implemented Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for accidental death and Rs 2 lakh for natural death to them burdening another Rs 360 crore per annum to the government.

He said merging of APSRTC in state government has burdened Rs 5,380 crore from January 2020 to October 2021 and setting up of Village and Ward Secretariats has given an additional burden of Rs 2,300 crore per annum.

The recruitment of doctors, nurses and Para Medical staff was done on large scale and it has led to another Rs 820 crore burden per annum. He said APCOS was set up to benefit outsourcing employees and it has laid a burden of Rs 2,040 crore per annum on the state government.

( With inputs from ANI )