Tirupati: JAC Amaravati leaders vow to intensify stir

Tirupati: The APJAC Amaravati on Tuesday staged a dharna at the Collectorate here to press the government to concede its 13 demands pending for long. The JAC called for State-wide protests for achieving the pending demands including payment of the 11th PRC arrears immediately to the employees, repealing Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and bringing back the old pension scheme, and also resolving the issues of contract and outsourced employees in the State.

CITU State vice-president K Murali who participated in the dharna, expressing support to JAC Amaravati fighting to achieve the employees demands, criticised the government for its confrontational attitude against the employees and the repressive measures to suppress employees' protests.

The government should clear the payment of 11th PRC and also set up 12th PRC for the employees' pay revision, he said seeking Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to fulfill the promises he made at the time of elections in 2019.

Chief Minister Jagan assured that he will repeal the CPS immediately after he is voted to power and also will be friendly with the employees. But the CPS is yet to be abolished though 4 years have passed after Jagan became the Chief Minister.

The YSRCP government has been adopting repressive measures against the employees fighting for their genuine demands and this amply reveals the Chief Minister's hostile attitude towards the employees after achieving power, the CITU leader said questioning the YSRCP government whether it has faith in democracy. "Have the people gave 151 seats for the YSRCP to unleash repressive measures against the people and to intimidate the employees," he asked, lashing out at the ruling party.

CM Jagan is under an illusion that pressing buttons (releasing funds for welfare schemes) will help him to come back to power but it is not possible without the cooperation of the employees, he averred.

Amaravati JAC district president Gopinath Reddy, leaders Rupchand,

Siva Prasad and others said that the JAC will intensify its stir to see the government agrees for the 13 demands and will not be frightened of the government's intimidating and pressure tactics.

AITUC district secretary Radhakrishna, Contract and Outsourced Employees JAC chairman G Naga Venkatesh and others also spoke.