Employees ask EC to give equal pay to staff on poll duties

Vijayawada: Alleging disparity in the remunerations paid to employees drafted for election duties in Andhra Pradesh, the Sri Krishna Devaraya employees JAC has urged the Election Commission to ensure equal remuneration to all such staff.

The employee JAC union leader S Rama Krishna said the presiding officers (POs) in some regions were given Rs 1,750 as remuneration while in some other areas, the POs were paid Rs 1,500. Similarly, the OPOs were paid Rs 1,300 to Rs 900.

Highlighting the significant difference in the remunerations paid to AP employees compared to Telangana staff for the elections, the JAC union leader said those who functioned as POs, OPOs and BLOs in Telangana were paid Rs 3,150, Rs 1,750 and Rs 600 respectively.

He urged EC to sanction surrender leave to the teachers who took part in the election duties during the summer holidays and issue duty certificates to employees who were not given this at the reception centres by the Returning Officers (ROs) due to work pressure.

Additionally, the JAC requested the EC to make a provision for the employees who did not cast their postal ballot votes and allow them to cast their postal ballots till June 3.