Hyderabad, January 24: The Andhra Pradesh Government on Sunday brought the curtains down on the ongoing agitation by its employees and teachers by accepting most of their demands, including filling up of vacant posts.
“Talks between the government and employees, in the presence of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, ended on a positive note this evening. We have accepted most of the 11 demands of the employees that will put an extra financial burden of Rs 550 crore on the exchequer and benefit 13.5 lakh employees, teachers and pensioners,” Finance Minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy told reporters in the Secretariat.
Other demands raised by the employees were being considered by the government, the Minister said.
While some of the benefits would be extended to the employees from April 1, 2011, some would be implemented with retrospective effect from last year, he added.
The AP government had been implementing the Pay Commission recommendations since July last by bearing Rs 5,150 crore per annum, he said.
The employees observed a three-day pen down and tool down strike last week in support of demands. They threatened to go on a flash strike or indefinite stir from January 25 if the Government remained indifferent to their concerns.
The major demands conceded by the government include enhancement of gratuity relief from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh; enhancement of house rent allowance by two per cent; filling up of vacant posts in a phased manner; extension of healthcare
facilities through the Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust; abolition of apprenticeship in recruitment of teachers and regularisation of panchayat raj ad hoc employees.
-Agencies