Revenue Minister accuses employees' leader of inflaming tensions with government

Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad has accused the state's senior employees' leader of inflaming tensions between the government and its workforce, questioning whether he is advancing a partisan cause rather than solving genuine grievances.

Speaking on Saturday, Satya Prasad charged Bopparaju Venkateswarlu, who heads both the APJAC Amaravati unit and the A.P. Revenue Services Association, with "provoking employees and damaging the relationship between the government and its workforce".

Dues blamed on wrong government

The Minister said Venkateswarlu was misrepresenting outstanding dues inherited from the previous YSRCP administration as fresh liabilities under the current NDA government, while ignoring funds that had been released over the past two years.

"Is Mr. Venkateswarlu focusing on resolving employees' problems or pursuing a political agenda?" Satya Prasad asked in a press release.

Bills cleared in phases

The government is holding talks with Venkateswarlu and other employee unions and remains "fully committed to resolving the issues despite financial constraints," the Minister said. He added that most bills left pending by the previous dispensation had been settled, with the remainder to be cleared in phases.

Satya Prasad highlighted several measures already taken: the Old Pension Scheme had been extended to 11,000 CPS employees, contributions allegedly diverted by the former government had been restored, and all pending bills of retired employees had been fully cleared.

Objection to tone of recent meeting

The Minister took exception to the manner in which the JAC leader conducted a recent meeting. "While there is no objection to staging protests or questioning the government, humiliating the Chief Minister will not be tolerated," he said.

Source: The Hindu