Will Jagan’s DA pacify AP govt employees?

Andhra Pradesh state government employees associations have been fiercely fighting with YSRCP government for new PRC (pay revision commission) scales for the past few days.

The Jagan government bowed to the pressure exerted by employees unions and initiated the process to announce new PRC but the state government’s financial condition is so bad that it cannot afford even 30 per cent fitment (hike on basic pay) as was announced by Telangana state government for its employees in April this year.

The AP employees unions are demanding fitment between 40 per cent to 50 per cent.

Against this backdrop, the Jagan government on Monday night issued orders all of a sudden for payment of DA (dearness allowance) of 5.24 per cent to state government employees.

The DA has been pending since July 2019. The DA will be paid to employees along with January 2022 salary in three installments.

This sudden decision by Jagan government to pay DA arrears is being viewed as a strategy to pacify employees unions and convince them to settle for lower fitment between 27 per cent to 30 per cent.

Jagan’s chief advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy already started giving statements indicating lower fitment saying that despite financial constraints AP government gave IR (interim relief) of 27 per cent of employees all these days to compensate for the loss on account of delaying new PRC scales while Telangana government did not extend any IR to its employees even after delaying new PRC scales by three years.

Jagan is planning to announce new PRC for employees as New Year Gift by this month-end after holding consultations with employees unions on quantum of fitment or basic salary hike.

Will this Jagan’s strategy pacifies AP government employees remains to be seen.