Congress govt faces pressure over employee dues & PRC

Hyderabad: The Congress govt is under tremendous pressure to implement the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), along with at least two Dearness Allowances (DAs), release pending bills and health cards, and meet other financially intensive demands of 15 lakh govt employees, teachers, pensioners, and contract employees.This pressure has only increased after the govt recently agreed to pay an 11% fitment (PRC) to around 40,000 TGSRTC employees and conceded to some of their other demands, following which the three-day bus strike was called off. The employees' and pensioners' JAC have threatened to organise a large public meeting in the city if the state govt further delays the implementation of the PRC, five pending DAs, and pending bills worth 14,200 crore.The govt employees' JAC secretary general, Eluri Sreenivasa Rao, said that discontent is brewing among govt employees, pensioners, contract employees, among others. "The govt is not even conducting Joint Staff Council meetings at the state level and in districts, which could resolve many issues. We understand that the govt is facing financial constraints, but excessive delay may result in the situation going out of our hands, with employees adopting a direct confrontation approach," he said.Officials said the govt is releasing over 700 crore every month towards pending bills of govt employees, and as interim relief a couple of pending DAs have been released.