Govt employees told to fight for rights

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Government Employees Association (APGEA) gave a clarion call to the government employees to wake up from deep slumber to protect their interests and jobs.

Addressing a roundtable of the government employees here on Thursday, president of the association K Suryanarayana demanded that the salaries of the employees should be paid on the first day of every month as per the government order. He also demanded the government to announce the date on which the financial benefits to the pensioners under the 11th PRC would be cleared.

"The government should announce the time-bound programme for depositing back the Rs 480 crore withdrawn from the GPF accounts of the employees without their permission. There should also be a time-bound programme for releasing the pensions, gratuity and other benefits to the retired government employees. The government should also announce the date on which the DA arrears and DR arrears will be paid to pensioners," he said.

He wanted to know when employees could withdraw the amount from GPF or partial withdrawal from the APGLI accounts.

The government should also fix time for the payment of surrender leave encashment every year, he said adding employees should be allowed to get the facilities like LTC. The government should also be paid the eligible TA and DA for the tours they have undertaken within a timeframe, he said.

The employees' leader said some offices are being run in rented buildings by the employees themselves with own funds and the amount should be sanctioned to them within a stipulated time. The payment of salaries to the contract and outsourced employees is being delayed by several months which should be rectified, he added.

Suryanarayana demanded the government to bring out a specific law for the payment of financial benefits to the employees like salaries and pensions since so far there is no enactment for the same.