Unlike the earlier governments, which believed in negotiations and cajoling to deal with the government employees, YS Jagan government is adopting a clear-cut policy of confrontation. YS Jagan is said to have asked his MLAs and Ministers to go to the people and explain the government stand vis-a-vis employees salaries. He is said to have told them to “expose the lies” of the employees unions.

A pamphlet war has begun in AP with the YSRCP workers, activists and the village volunteers going from house to house to distribute pamphlets. The pamphlets explain how the salaries of the employees have gone up. They also explain how welfare schemes have to be cut if the demands of the employees are to be met with.

Similarly, the YSRCP is also using social media in a big way. A massive campaign has been launched on whatsapp, facebook and YouTube to portray the employees as bribe-takers. The pamphlets also question the government teachers, who absent themselves from the duty, for getting involved in real estate dealings. Do they need a pay hike, the party has questioned through the pamphlets.

Jagan government appears to be well prepared to take on the employees through a campaign blitzkrieg. The idea appears to be to push the government employees into defense. The YSRCP has successfully used the same strategy on the film industry on the question of ticket fares and on the Amaravati farmers. Now the same strategy is sought to be used against the government employees

The YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh headed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, which is on a spree on issuing notices asking people to pay Rs 10,000 for OTS (one time settlement scheme) to regularise houses sanctioned to people by previous governments three decades ago, issuing notices to poor who failed to construct houses on plots distributed by YSRCP government, asking people to pay garbage tax, issuing notices to owners of residential and commercial buildings to pay higher property tax etc, is now eyeing builders across the state constructing apartments and residential projects.

The government is issuing notices to builders asking them to pay 5 per cent of the total project cost as penalty for defaulting on filing quarterly returns on the progress of their projects as mandated under AP RERA Act.

Builders who construct eight or more flats in the apartment and builders constructing apartments or residential projects in plots measuring more than 500 sq.yards come under the purview of AP RERA Act.

They have to register their projects with AP RERA and file quarterly returns in online mode disclosing the progress of their projects. However, several builders failed to file online returns due to Covid conditions and other reasons since last year.

Such builders are now receiving notices from the state government asking them to pay a penalty in lakhs of rupees. Builders who are already under deep financial losses due to realty slump in AP following Covid conditions and YSRCP government’s decision on three capitals and other issues, are shocked to receive notices asking them to pay a penalty in lakhs of rupees.

A builder who is constructing an apartment at a cost of Rs 10 crore has to pay a penalty of Rs 50 lakh for failing to file returns. Builders say they will not earn even Rs 50 lakh profit after construction of apartment and sale of all the flats and question how they can pay Rs 50 lakh penalty to state government.

Out of 1,800 projects registered with AP RERA, only 800 builders filed returns. The government issued notices to the remaining 1,000 builders to pay penalties.

The OTS scheme (one time settlement scheme) launched by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has exposed how Jagan’s popularity is falling drastically among the people in the state. Not just popularity, it exposed people’s lack of confidence in Jagan’s words and actions.

Jagan launched the OTS scheme on December 8 with an aim to earn revenues of Rs 4,000 crore for the state government by regularising houses of poor. However, Jagan officially launched the scheme again on December 21 in West Godavari district by handing over registration papers to beneficiaries.

OTS scheme faced the wrath of people across the state who refused to pay Rs 10,000 for registration papers for their houses in which they are living since 1980s and allotted by previous governments.

OTS scheme received some response before Jagan handed over registration papers. People paid Rs 200 crore prior to Jagan handing over registration papers to people to launch the scheme. After Jagan handed over registration papers, people paid not even Rs 100 crore in the last 20 days.

Officials hoped that after Jagan handed over registration papers, people would make a beeline to apply for OTS and get registration papers. Let alone increase in rush, the previous rush of applications also came down after Jagan’s programme in West Godavari.

This showed how people lost faith in Jagan and also how Jagan’s popularity is falling drastically.

There is no response to OTS in any district. Officials now expect that it is difficult to earn even Rs 500 crore through OTS against the target of Rs 4,000 crore.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the ‘one district-one airport’ concept is good, and instructed officials to expedite the works on Bhogapuram and Dagadarthi airports in Vizianagaram and Nellore districts.

At the review meeting on ports and airports held on Thursday, the chief minister instructed the officials to plan such that that all airports in the state are identical.

“Efforts should be made for developing the basic infrastructure for the airports, and the runways should be developed to allow even Boeing airplanes to land,” he said while telling the officials to put special focus on the development and expansion works on the existing six airports in the state along with the two new airports.

The chief minister said that special focus should be laid on the expansion works of Gannavaram airport catering to Vijayawada and Amaravati, keeping in view the growing traffic.

The officials appraised the chief minister of the work in progress at Tirupati, Kadapa, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kurnool airports.

The chief minister also told the officials to take up on a priority basis the construction works of nine fishing harbours and three ports. Work on Bhavanapadu and Ramayapatnam ports will begin soon, the chief minister was informed by officials.

Works taken up on four fishing harbours in the first phase will be completed by October, the officials said. Of the nine fishing harbours, Uppada (East Godavari), Nizampatnam (Guntur), Machilipatnam (Krishna), and Juvvalpalem (Nellore) will be completed in the first phase, officials said.

Remaining five harbours will be taken in the second phase and will be completed in the specified timeline and tenders are to be finalized soon, officials said.

In the second phase, harbours will be coming up at Budagatlapalem (Srikakulam district), Pudimadaka (Visakhapatnam), Biyyaputhippa (West Godavari), Odarevu (Prakasam) and Kothapatnam (Prakasam).

Industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, chief secretary Sameer Sharma, and other officials were present at the review meeting.

The huge cut in salaries and allowances of state government employees in Andhra Pradesh led to speculations that Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has imposed ‘financial emergency’ on his own before the Central government acts on this issue.

Normally, the central government has the power to impose ‘financial emergency’ in the country or any state, if the financial situation goes out of control under Article 360 of the Constitution. The first step that the Centre takes after imposing financial emergency is that it cuts the salaries and allowance of government employees to bring down expenditure.

After Jagan became CM of AP in May 2019, the financial condition of AP turned from bad to worse. With an eye of ‘vote bank politics’ Jagan resorted to cash dole out schemes in the name of “Navaratnalu” with focussing on development of state and without improving revenue earnings of the state through job creation, new industries and other projects.

The finances of AP have dried up completely under the Jagan regime which is now struggling to pay even salaries and pensions for employees.

Jagan recently announced new PRC scales for government employees with 23% fitment. This should lead to an increase in basic pay by 23 per cent. But the salaries of employees came down over previous PRC scales as Jagan imposed drastic cuts in HRA and other allowances of employees.

Jagans cuts led to state government employees losing Rs 750 crore per year.

This gave clear indications that Jagan imposed financial emergency on his own and cut salaries of employees after realising that Centre is bound to impose financial emergency in AP due to financial crisis.

Soon after becoming Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in May 2019, YS Jaganmohan Reddy introduced ‘reverse tendering process’ arguing that it will end corruption in all the contracts awarded by the state government to the contractors. Though the ‘reverse tenders’ has not ended corruption in AP governement’s tenders, Jagan became popular as ‘reverse tenders CM’ in the country.

Now, Jagan is becoming popular as ‘reverse salaries CM’ after he issued two shocking GOs (government orders) on Monday night.

Jagan issued GOs extending 23 per cent fitment (hike on basic pay) to state government employees as promised. However, he shocked employees with his decision to cut HRA (house rent allowance) sharply.

Normally, a pay hike should result in increased salaries for employees. But Jagan’s pay hike resulted in reduction of salaries.

The PRC commission has recommended 14 per cent fitment while the employees demanded over 50 per cent fitment. After several rounds of consultation with employees unions, Jagan fixed 23 per cent and claimed that he gave more than what PRC commission had recommended.

But after seeing GOs, employees realised that they will get only 14 per cent fitment as recommended by PRC commission after taking into consideration the steep reduction in HRA effected by Jagan.

All these days, AP employees were getting salary with 27 per cent fitment. Now they will get 14 per cent fitment.

Employees realised that Jagan gave fitment with one hand and took away with another hand by lowering HRA. They will now have to take ‘reverse salaries’ which means lower salary than what they are drawing till date.

YS Jagan is fast turning out to be a leader who enjoys outsmarting the people. First, he has outsmarted the government employees and got claps and accolades from them on the issue of PRC. After lustily clapping for him, the employees are now realizing that they were taken for a ride by a sweet-talking YS Jagan.

They now find that there is no hike in salary in actual terms. Hike seen on papers is not getting translated into reality and more shockingly, in some cases, the actual salary has come down. The enigmatic HRA policy has now left employees tying them in knots to decipher what went wrong and how their own leaders were befooled.

Now by inviting Chiru for talks on film industry imbroglio, Jagan has outwitted everyone. Chiru is now forced to explain the whole purpose of the meeting. Why has he gone all alone to meet Jagan? Was there a deal? Why was the industry not kept in the loop? Poor Chiru is now made to explain to everybody who cares. Similarly, the Jana Sena is in trouble to explain Chiru’s dalliance with Jagan. In a veiled disapproval, Jana Sena spokesperson Kunampudi Srinivas has questioned the very need for Chiru to meet Jagan. He said Chiru had played into Jagan’s hands and has left the Kapu voters confused.

In one stroke, Jagan drove a wedge between the film industry and Chiru, between Chiru and Pawan , between Jana Sena and Chiru and among the Kapu community itself. More importantly, the problem of the film industry remains as it was. Without yielding any quarter, Jagan clearly gained a lot of publicity, praise and political advantage.

It is now evident that various state government employees unions in Andhra Pradesh are setting in anger at the YSRCP government headed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy over the issue of new PRC scales.

But they are maintaining their cool and composure only because of upcoming Sankranthi festival on January 15. Sankranthi is considered to be the most favourite festival in Andhra Pradesh and everyone in AP wants to enjoy the festival with family and friends for at least a week for Sankranthi.

Employees unions are already angry at Jagan announcing a meagre 23 per cent fitment (hike on basic pay) but still kept calm after he raised retirement age from 60 years to 62 years although no union demanded for it.

But employees unions are now angry at Jagan government for making moves to cause financial loss to them by reducing HRA (house rent allowance). The unions are not ready to accept this come what may and are preparing to revolt against YSRCP government once Sankranthi ends on January 15.

The unions met AP Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) officials to discuss on HRA issue and came out without achieving anything. The unions said their salaries will come down with the new PRC pay scales if HRA is reduced.

After the meeting, the unions made it clear that they will wait until Sankranthi and decide their future course of action against Jagan government if the CM goes ahead with HRA cut.