Jagan okays hike in pay, allowance of striking municipal staff

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has okayed an increase in salary of sanitation workers to ₹21,000 per month, municipal administration minister Adimulapu Suresh announced here on Thursday evening.

He further disclosed that the CM has also decided on payment of ₹6,000 as health allowance to sanitation workers.

Keeping these two aspects in view, the municipal minister asked sanitation workers throughout the state to call off their ongoing strike.

Earlier, cabinet sub-committee ministers Seediri Appalaraju, Merugu Nagarjuna, Botsa Satyanarayana, Adimulapu Suresh, Ch. Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna and Buggana Rajendranath, apart from government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy held discussions at the CM's camp office on resolving the ongoing strike of municipal sanitation workers.

Thereafter, the group of ministers met Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and briefed him about various aspects. Following this, the CM decided to increase the pay of sanitation workers to ₹21,000 and okay the health allowance of ₹6,000.

Leaders of various unions and associations of municipal sanitation workers are scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss the offer of the government before deciding whether or not they should call off their strike.

Minister Suresh said private agencies are being pressed into service to remove the piled up garbage in various municipalities.