Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy has accused the opposition of instigating the state employees against his government, in reference to the recent agitation by the staff demanding better pay revision.
While the government – departments and secretariat - employees have withdrawn their strike call after some concessions offered by Reddy on Sunday, the teachers are still in protest mode.
“Vested interests have been instigating teachers to go on strike, even during these testing times of Covid-19. For the last two years, all the students were being passed without any examinations and in this third year, it is sad to see teachers going on strike affecting the student's education,” Reddy said on Tuesday.
“No one wants the employees to go on strike, except those who are adamant on making Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister again,” he added.
The CM mentioned that there were 3.97 lakh government employees till the 2019 elections and that 1,84,264 new jobs were created after he assumed power. “The salary bill was Rs 1198 crore till 2019, but now it has increased to Rs 3187 crore per annum.”
“Over one lakh outsourcing employees have been receiving EPF and ESI benefits. By regularizing RTC employees, our government is bearing an additional burden of Rs 3600 crore every year,” Reddy said further.
Drawing a comparison with the previous TDP government, Chief Minister Reddy said that the pay of Anganwadi workers was only Rs 7000 back then. “Now it has increased to Rs 11500. Similarly, the pay of municipal sanitation workers has been increased to Rs 18,000 from Rs 12,000 and for Asha workers, to Rs 10000 from Rs 3000. Also, the salaries of tribal welfare health workers, home guards, 108 ambulance drivers were also increased to a great extent.”
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Published 08 February 2022, 16:09 IST