During a recent Sunday meeting, leaders from the Andhra Pradesh JAC Amaravati union issued a strong call for the government to urgently address the pressing financial concerns faced by its employees.
At the State secretariat coordination meeting, JAC State chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu and secretary general P. Damodara Rao expressed profound concern regarding the administration’s perceived indifference towards the financial and other issues plaguing both active and retired personnel. They highlighted an alarming outstanding amount of ₹30,000 crore in pending arrears, noting with sadness that many retired employees are reportedly passing away without ever receiving their rightful retirement benefits – a truly regrettable situation.
The union leaders insisted that gratuity and leave encashments should be disbursed on the very day of an employee’s retirement, as has been the practice previously. They also called for the immediate settlement of all surrendered leave encashment dues. Furthermore, they sharply criticized the current state of the Employees’ Health Scheme (EHS), lamenting that its dysfunction prevents many employees and pensioners from accessing vital medical care, tragically leading to preventable loss of life.
Key demands included the swift release of pending Dearness Allowances (DAs), long-overdue pension arrears, and the prompt appointment of a PRC Commissioner – ideally before the Dasara festival. They also pushed for the clearing of promotions for RTC employees, a matter already approved by the Chief Minister, alongside the regularisation of contract employees, salary increases and government benefits for outsourcing staff, and the resolution of persistent issues affecting village and ward secretariat employees.
The JAC leaders underscored that these critical demands had already been formally presented to the Chief Secretary at last month’s Joint Staff Council meeting, urging immediate communication to the Chief Minister. The meeting concluded with a unanimous decision: all affiliated unions of A.P. JAC Amaravati are to organize their State-level conferences and district tours by November 30, aiming to bolster the union’s presence and influence across all levels.
Notable attendees at the meeting included JAC’s associate chairman T.V. Phani Perraju, co-chairmen P.S.S.N.P. Shastri and G. Sivananda Reddy, vice-chairmen Y.S. Malleswara Rao and V. Arlaiah, treasurer K. Sangeeta Rao, organising secretary T. Nageswara Rao, and publicity secretary B. Kishore Kumar. Representatives from the Women’s Committee, including chairperson P. Lakshmi, secretary general P. Vijayalakshmi, and associate chairperson S. Shivakumar Reddy, were also in attendance.