Amaravati: Contract staff to be paid on time says YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Amaravati: In what could be good news for the contract workers in various departments throughout the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed the officials that the contract workers employed in various departments should get their salaries on time through green channel.

During a review meeting held at his camp office at Tadepalli on Monday, the Chief Minister said that all contract workers employed in various departments, societies, universities should get their salaries on time like any other government employee.

The previous government has given time-scale in a hurry just before the elections to the 54,000 contract employees and has done nothing to them, he said. "It was also only from July 2019 that the minimum time scale was being implemented. The state took the burden on it and which costs the exchequer Rs 1,000 crore."

There was a hike of 88 to 95 per cent in the salaries when compared to that of March 31, 2017. The salary for junior lecturers was hiked from Rs 19,050 to 37,100 from July 2019 onward which works out to 95 per cent. Health personnel, health assistant (male) salary was hiked from Rs 14,860to Rs 22,290 which is 88 per cent.

The salary of secondary grade teachers (SGT) was increased by 95 per cent to Rs 21,230 from Rs 10,900. The salary of school assistant has gone up by 95 per cent from Rs 10,900 to Rs 21,230 since July.

The salaries of contract workers should be paid through green channel and the amount should be credited to their bank accounts like regular employees, he said.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to prepare a study report on the social and medical security benefits to the contract workers and submit it.

Chief secretary Nilam Sawhney, finance secretary Rawat, GAD (services) secretary Sasibhushan, labour department secretary Udayalakshmi, Aarogyasri Trust CEO Mallikharjun and other officials attended the meeting.