AP government staff plan phase-wise protests

VIJAYAWADA: AP Joint Action Committee (JAC), Amaravati, has announced a phase-wise action plan to make the state government resolve the long-pending problems of its employees.

The state executive of Amaravati APJAC met at the Revenue Bhavan in Vijayawada on Sunday to discuss their various problems. Committee chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu and general secretary Palisetti Damodara Rao deplored the government for severe injustice done to employees in the 11th PRC.

Further, they pointed out that pending arrears have not yet been paid as the state is continuing to go through a severe financial crisis. Several government staff had been forced to postpone the weddings of their daughters as a result. Many employees are in such a condition that they are unable to provide good treatment to their family members who have fallen ill or pay the school or college fees for their children.

The two employee leaders said APJAC had submitted a 50-page memorandum to the chief secretary on February 13, seeking a resolution of their financial and non-financial problems. But no action has been taken yet. Following this, they have decided to launch phase-wise protests.

On March 9 and March 10, all employees will wear black badges and attend duties under protest. On March 13 and March 14, they will hold protest meetings at the collector / RDO offices across the state during lunch break. On March 15, March 17 and March 20, they will organise massive dharnas at the offices of district collectors.

On March 21, employees will hold a cell-down protest and not receive any calls.

On March 24, they will hold dharnas at all commissioner offices. On April 3, they will go to the collectorate and hand over a memorandum listing their problems to collectors.

Venkateswarlu and Damodara Rao said on April 5, APJAC Amaravati will hold its state working group meeting to finalise its future course of action.