Jagan Govt in fix over pay revision for employees

Visakhapatnam: The implementation of the recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries on the 11th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) with a fitment of 14.29 per cent with HRA and pension as per PRC-7 will entail a minimum burden of Rs 9,150 crore on the fund-starved Andhra Pradesh Government.

Battling to mop up funds following the fallout of Covid-19 pandemic and dispute over estimated cost of big ticket projects like Polavaram, the YSR Congress Party Government has already decided to monetise by selling vacant lands including the one located on the beachfront of Visakhapatnam, which was allotted to UAE-based LuLu Group for construction of an international conventional hall, multiplex and a five-star deluxe hotel. The government has also gone to the extent of mortgaging prime properties including the R&B building and Circuit House in Visakhapatnam, proposed to be developed as the executive capital.

The Committee of Secretaries headed by Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma recommended four alternatives with multiple fitment formulae. The report was submitted to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday evening.

The employees' unions expressed anguish over the report and reposed faith in the Chief Minister to do justice. They also sought implementation of an 'acceptable' fitment for the benefit of government employees with retrospective effect from 2018.

While AP JAC chairman Bandi Srinivas and AP JAC Amaravati chairman B Venkateswarlu welcomed the decision to put the Sameer Sharma-led panel's recommendations on the public domain, they said they would set up a committee to study implications of various scenarios. AP Government Employees' Federation chairman K Venkatram Reddy said there was lot of disparity among the State and Central Government employees and hoped that the Chief Minister would do justice to all of them by giving a good hike in pay scales.

As per the scenario-1 of PRC-11 recommendations, a fitment of 23 per cent will create a financial burden of Rs11,557 crore per annum. In the event of 27 percent, the burden will increase to Rs13,422 crore. Acceptance of 23 per cent fitment will cast a burden of Rs11,557 crore.