Salary loss under new PRC haunts employees

Vijayawada: Notwithstanding the Government's threat of invoking ESMA against the employees who have given notice for strike, more sections of employees, including some essential services like APSRTC, power sector and medical and health have decided to go on strike from February 7 demanding amendments to the new PRC announced by the government. Employees are miffed over the 'adamant' attitude of the government. They said for reasons not known, the government had so far refused to keep the GOs pertaining to the new PRC in abeyance and create an atmosphere for talks.

They also said it was unfortunate that the Ashutosh Mishra committee report on PRC has not been made public. They said despite undue pressure on District Development Officers, 70 per cent of them had not yet submitted the bills to pay salaries. They said they will burn the pay slips if salaries for January are paid as per new PRC.

The JAC leaders said that the government was claiming that it has to bear an additional burden of over Rs 10,000 crore by implementing the new PRC. They said they urge the government to pay old salaries so that there would be no additional burden this month.

Meanwhile, they explained how the employees would be losing financially under the new PRC. They said old pay as on July 1, 2018, new pay at 23 per cent fitment, pending DA arrears, actual arrears at 23 per cent fitment and old HRA amount due from April 1, 2020 and unscientific fixation of PRC would result in a person getting Rs 14,600 basic pay to make reimbursement of Rs 14,085 from PRC arrears.

A superintendent rank official who prefers to be anonymous said his salary stands at Rs 1,05,807 as on April 1, 2020, including basic pay of Rs 58,330, DA at 33.536 per cent Rs 19,562, HRA at 20 per cent Rs 11,666, Interim relief 27 per cent Rs 15,749 and CCA Rs 500.

Now under the new PRC he is going to get a total salary of Rs 99,719, including pay of Rs 89,720, HRA at 8 per cent Rs 7,178 causing a loss of Rs 6,088 per month. The official said whatever may be argued on PRC, employees will certainly suffer loss in their monthly salaries with the cut in HRA and other allowances.