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It’s official: Half of PRC arrears in bonds
The suspense over payment of Tenth PRC arrears to four lakh government staff and 2.4 lakh retired employees has almost ended. The government is mulling to give 50 percent amount in the form of three installments and the remaining amount as bonds. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao gave indications to this effect on Wednesday. However, Telangana employee unions have rejected the proposal.
Hyderabad: The suspense over payment of Tenth PRC arrears to four lakh government staff and 2.4 lakh retired employees has almost ended. The government is mulling to give 50 percent amount in the form of three installments and the remaining amount as bonds. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao gave indications to this effect on Wednesday. However, Telangana employee unions have rejected the proposal.
It may be mentioned here that the Telangana government had agreed to implement the Tenth PRC from the day of formation of new State (June 2). While the revised salaries have come into effect from March 2015, employees were assured that eight-month arrears (from June 2014 to February 2015) would also be given to them. Initially, the government thought of adding the amount into GPF accounts of the staff, but it did not go ahead due to immediate financial burden on the State exchequer.
With the neighboring Andhra Pradesh government deciding to pay arrears in the form of bonds, speculations were rife that Telangana could adopt the same model. Although no final decision was taken, this proposal dented the TRS candidate and former TNGO president G Deviprasad’s winning chances in MLC elections held in March this year. The entire teacher’s community of Telangana opposed this decision tooth and nail and the TRS paid the price in MLC elections.
After a brief lull on this issue, the Chief Minister hinted about the government’s intentions during a media briefing on Wednesday. Replying to a query, Rao explained that his administration might adopt the same method extended to RTC staff - 50 percent amount in three installments (to be given at the time of Dussehra 2015, Ugadi and Dusshera-2016) and the rest of the 50 percent as bonds with a five-year fixed term.
When contacted, Telangana employees were not too pleased with the offer. They are okay with the government giving half of the arrears in installments spread over three festivals. Their main objection is regarding the remaining 50 percent amount as bonds with a five-year limit. “When this government itself has four years tenure left before 2019 elections, how could employees agree for five-year term?” said employee union leaders.
This issue should be resolved during the present government’s tenure and should not be extended beyond that, they contended.Further, employees suggested the government to consider depositing 50 percent of the amount in GPF accounts over the next two to four years instead of issuing bonds. This message would be conveyed to Chief Secretary in no uncertain terms, TS employees’ associations said.
