AP employees’ leaders thank YS Jagan for GPS, PRC; CM pledges govt support

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday directed the officials to implement the State Cabinet decisions relating to employees within 60 days. The Chief Minister gave these orders when the representatives of the employees’ associations called on him at the Camp Office here.

AP NGOs Association President B Srinivasa Rao, Secretary Siva Reddy and other leaders called on the Chief Minister and thanked him for the Cabinet’s decision to implement the GPS, regularize the services of contract employees, constitute the 12th PRC and treat Vaidya Vidhana Parishad staff as government employees.

The Chief Minister told them that the employees were part of the Government and the people’s welfare depended on employees’ welfare. “The Finance Department has worked hard for the last two years to introduce a good pension scheme for you and solve other problems, keeping in mind the welfare of your families for future generations also,” he said.

“If an employee retires with a basic salary of Rs 1 lakh, he will get a monthly pension of Rs 50,000 but even at the age of 82 also, the retired employee should have good living standards,” he said, adding that the GPS was envisaged keeping this in mind.

“For the first time, a good effort was made to do justice to the employees and provide financial security on retirement. Every year, two DRs would be added to meet the growing inflation,” he explained to the leaders, adding that the GPS had several good features which the old CPS didn’t.

Speaking about the regularization of contract employees, he said that the Government had also considered the Supreme Court views and judgments to help them. “When the proposal first came to me, it was suggested that completion of 10 years of service on the date of bifurcation should be taken as the yardstick for their regularization. But to help the majority of the contract employees, it was reduced to five years,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Government had decided to help the employees of the Vaidya Vidhana Parishad also as there was wide difference in their salaries and post-retirement benefits when compared to regular Government employees.

“Hence, we have decided to abolish it and treat them as Government employees. If you still feel there is more to be done, we are ready to do it as I strongly believe that the welfare of the people depends on your welfare and you are also stakeholders in the Government. Government will stand by you,” he assured them.