A large number of teachers and employees from the education department supported by Federation of Andhra Pradesh Teachers Organisation (FAPTO) staged a dharna before the Collector office against the new Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and demanded that the State Government should withdraw the Government Orders (G.Os) related to implementation of the PRCs immediately. The teachers also threatened to give strike notice if the government does not roll back the G.Os, by today evening.
Raising slogans against the State Government, the teachers tried to barge into the Collectorate. However, their bid was stalled by the police personnel who were deputed in a large number. The teachers then staged a sit-in protest and continued to raise slogans against the government and the PRC before the Collectorate. A large number of women also took part in the protest.
The protestors alleged that the government did not consider the employees demands as per the Ashutosh Mishra Committee report for the 11th PRC, but appears to have taken the recommendations of the IAS officers, which seem to be anti-employee. The State Government even did not meet the unions before announcing the PRC, they said.
Some of the teachers alleged that the price of essential commodities, house rents and other expenses have increased over the last few years. But probably for the first time, fitments are given less than the Interim Relief (IR). The State Government is also trying to reduce House Rent Allowance (HRA). The PRC is completely against the employees, they said.
The teachers also demanded the government to pay their pending DA’s immediately, which were pending since the last two years. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has assured to cancel the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) within one week after coming to power. But till now, the CPS issue is neglected, they said during the protest.
A teacher who was protesting at the Collectorate said that the YSRCP Government has been vindictive towards the teachers. “Ever since coming YSRCP had come into power, the teachers are being overburdened with work with introduction of various Apps, schemes and even during COVID-19 pandemic with additional duties. But the priority of the government to resolve the teachers issues is not justified,” she said.
