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The Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh, which has been making all efforts to resolve the demands of the state government employees on pay revision amicably, has decided to take tough measures to curb their agitation.
The government has taken serious view of the call given by the PRC Sadhana Samithi, a joint action committee of all employees, teachers and workers, for “Chalo Vijayawada” rally on Thursday. It has given instructions to the police to crush the agitation firmly, at any cost.
Senior YSR Congress party leader and advisor to the state government on public affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said it was wrong on the part of the employees to take to Chalo Vijayawada rally much before they began their indefinite strike from February 6.
“We have told them that we are ready for talks on all aspects of pay revision. We told them to defer all their agitation programmes till the negotiations are completed. Yet, they gave a call for Chalo Vijayawada rally, which cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Sajjala wondered what the employees would achieve with such rallies, as they would only be creating a wedge between them and the government.
“The employees’ unions only want show of strength. The government won’t allow that,” he said.
He said Covid-19 restrictions would not permit holding of such rallies. If they crossed their limits, the police would enter the scene and take stringent action, he warned.
The YSRC leader said it was not correct on the part of the employees to insist on their three demands: paying of old salaries, withdrawal of GOs on pay revision and disclosure of the original PRC report.
“How can the GOs be withdrawn when salaries were already paid? And what would they do with the PRC report?” he asked.
Meanwhile, the police kept several employees’ union leaders under house arrest to prevent them from going to Vijayawada for Thursday’s rally.
They issued notices to all the district-level leaders stating that there is no permission for the rally and if they make any such attempt, they would be arrested.
Checkposts were erected at all district borders and if anybody made any attempt, they would be taken into preventive custody, the police said.
