Even as the Andhra Pradesh state government employees are agitating demanding withdrawal of the GOs on pay revision and payment of old salaries, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is firm on paying them revised pay scales.
The Jagan government wants to prove that the employees would get enhancement in their salaries, and not reduction in salaries as feared by them. But the employees are not ready to accept the same.
Though orders were issued to the state treasury department to process the salary bills of the state government employees, the treasury staff has refused to do the same, as they, too, have joined the agitation.
Since Saturday was the last day to process the bills as the employees would get their salaries for the month of January by February 1, the government issued an ultimatum to the treasury department employee to process the bills by 6 pm.
The government warned of stern action against the treasury staff, if they do not follow the orders. Yet, there were no reports of passage of the revised salary bills by the end of the deadline.
As a result, the government issued orders to the district collectors and departmental heads to take action against the treasury employees.
Interestingly, the government also issued orders increasing the house rent allowance of the employees working in various heads of departments operating from Vijayawada and surrounding areas from 8 percent to 16 percent.
Apparently, the government wants to attract some sections of employees and prevent them from going ahead with the strike from February 7. It remains to be seen how far this new step will work out for the government.