The employees’ associations have come down heavily on the State government saying that the government was insulting the employees under the pretext of talks.

The talks with the employees associations regarding PRC on Thursday apparently failed with the employees taking a firm stand that they would not accept 14.29% fitment.

Andhra Pradesh Government Employees Association (APGEA) president K. Suryanarayana, however, strongly criticised AP JAC and Amaravati JAC for their decision to suspend the agitation when the talks were going on. The APGEA would launch “chaitanya yatras” in all districts to create awareness among employees from January onwards, he said.

The APJAC and Amaravati JAC asserted that they would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and not with officials anymore. They said that there was no progress after the employees met the finance department officials in the recent past. The employees attended the meeting only after an assurance that there would be progress in the talks.

The associations would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy directly. The Struggle committee meeting scheduled for January 3 would announce an action plan, the associations asserted.

APNGOs Association president Bandi Srinivasa Rao said the State’s finances were explained to them. Employees and teachers’ bills were pending for many months. Employees GPF, medical bills were kept pending. There was an immense pressure on employees’ associations leaders in this regard. There were talks regarding 71 demands put forth by the associations.

“We will not consider the report given by the officials. Announcing a new PRC every five years is a tradition and it must be followed. The employees expected that the government would announce the PRC as a new year gift but all hopes were dashed,” they said.

Revenue Employees’ Association president Mr. Venkateswarlu sought to know why the government was recruiting village and ward secretariat posts if 100% revenues were spent on government employees alone. The government struck at 14.29% fitment. Also, the officials said that the salaries being paid were higher than the salaries paid during previous government tenure. There was no truth in the statistics reeled out by the government.

The employees savings were ₹1,600 crore and it touched ₹2,100 crore with interest. The government was not speaking on ₹2,000 crore employees’ bills that were pending for many months now. The employees would not accept 14.29% fitment under any case, he said.