Jagan faced with a plethora of problems

Jagan mohan Reddy became the second CM of the newly formed AP State with a landslide victory in 2019 elections. Almost from day one Jagan has been striving a lot for the development of the nascent state and for the welfare of its people. He has initiated many new and innovative schemes and reforms to put the State on the track of quick and holistic development in all spheres. In our country, it is only natural for a working government to face unfounded allegations and carping from the green-eyed Opposition.

The weak yet tenacious Opposition lost no opportunity in criticising and attacking the government for its plans like developing three capitals to its latest plan of collecting money from the poor as OTS for giving away free house sites to them. Of course, the Jagan Government took all this criticism in its stride and went on winning many local and bye elections and implementing its plans and schemes with vengeance. The burning issue of new PRC for the employees and the issue of fixing the MRP of tickets in the cinema theatres are at present new 'thorns in the flesh' of the Government. In other words, controversies are not new to the AP government.

The PRC issue is really a trying proposition to the Government. From the point of view of the employees, it is definitely a pressing issue and the government has to find a mutually beneficial and acceptable solution to keep them in good humour. They in fact have patiently waited for quite a long time, giving enough elbow room to the Government to settle the issue. Since having allowed 27% in the form of IR to the employees, the government has complacently put the issue in cold storage till the issue has presented itself as a Gordian knot before the Government. Now it has snowballed into a showdown between the Government and the employees. The Finance Minister, the Chief Secretary and the advisor to the Government, Sajjala have been working round the clock, running errands between the CM and the employees and holding a legion of meetings and talks with all parties concerned.

The solutions and offers put forth by the Government have failed to pacify and satisfy the restive employees. In view of the none-too impressive financial position of the Government, it is justified to be mingy and allowing just a nominal hike in the pay packs of the employees. One thing is certain that the employees play a vital role not only in the State administration but also in elections.

Therefore, the government must be willing to sweeten the pot to make the employees accept its terms of the new PRC. Jagan must ensure that the employees get benefited lest they should launch an all-out attack on the government which may have a series of serious consequences, affecting the prospects of Jagan winning the elections for the second term.

Again a sincere attempt by the Government to fix the MRP of cinema tickets in the State has stirred up a hornet's nest. On the face of it, the Government seems to have taken up the issue without doing any homework. No doubt ,that cinema exhibitors fleece the general public by fixing the price of tickets whimsically every time a new movie releases. If it is a big ticket movie, the exhibitors show no qualms to collect hundreds of rupees from cinema goers.

To check this extortion-like business, the government invoked the Cinematography Act to assert its powers to fix the prices in the cinema theatres and rates of items in the canteens therein. Accordingly, the Government issued the GO 35, fixing slabs of ticket rates in theatres in urban, semi-urban, municipalities and rural areas. It has also asked the theatre owners not to raise the prices of snacks and other items in their canteens.

This has upset the owners of about 1000 cinema theatres in the State and their main grouse is that it is unviable to run the show business at the rates fixed by the Government. In their numerous meetings held with the Government, movie producers, directors, theatre owners and others discussed the issue threadbare and tried hard to tell the government that they should have a free hand in this show business.

It is a pity that the film industry has been divided into camps that are for and against the government's proposal. It is hoped that the government would find out a solution soon acceptable to all the parties. After fixing the MRP of tickets, the government can allow producers to fix the price of tickets if their movies are completely shot (except perhaps songs) in the AP State. It will generate income to the government, create jobs for many, give a fillip to the development of the film industry in the State. The government can safely try it out on experimental basis.