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Amaravati, Jan 21 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report even as the government employees decided to go on strike from February 7 opposing the 23 per cent pay revision.
The Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy gave its nod to implement Government Order (GO) relating to PRC, despite the ongoing protest by employees, who alleged that revised pay scales would result in reduction of their present salaries.
Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Nani told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that the government's doors are open for talks with employees' unions over the issue. Referring to statements by some leaders of the unions, he said criticism of the Chief Minister will not solve the employees' problems.
The Cabinet also approved enhancing the retirement age of government employees from 60 years to 62 years.
It also decided to provide jobs on compassionate grounds for families of those government employees who died of Covid-19.
The Cabinet decided to provide 10 per cent houses in Jagananna smart townships to government employees.
Meanwhile, the employees' unions on Friday decided to go on strike from February 7 opposing pay revision announced by the government and to demand rollback of the GO.
The decision was taken at a joint meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (AP JAC), the AP AJAC Amaravati, the Government Employees' Association, and the Secretariat Employees' Association in Vijayawada.
The leaders of four unions decided to give strike notice to the government on January 24. They also decided to meet Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma and demand that the government pay the salaries, as per earlier pay scales.
The meeting chalked out an action plan for continuing the protests. The unions will hold round table meetings in all district headquarters on January 23 and organise rallies and stage sit-ins on January 25.
The unions decided to give petitions to statues of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and organise a relay hunger strike from January 27 to 30. The employees will hold 'chalo Vijayawada' programme on February 3.
The employees' unions are demanding that the government pay their salaries as per 27 per cent IR relief which was announced pending implementation of the new PRC report.
Since the government announced a 23 per cent pay hike, the employees say that there will be a downward revision in salaries.
However, the Chief Secretary on Wednesday asserted that there will not be downward revision of salaries. He claimed that with the payment of DA arrears since 2019, the gross salary will go up.
--IANS
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