Employees warm up for Chalo Vijayawada
APJAC Amaravati chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu, APNGOs State president Bandi Srinivasa Rao, APPRC Sadhana Samithi leaders and employees burning copies of pay slips at AP Revenue Services Association office in Vijayawada on Wednesday. Photo: Ch Venkata Mastan
Vijayawada: The situation in Andhra Pradesh is turning into a tussle between employees and the government.
As the PRC Sadhana Samiti was gearing up for Chalo Vijayawada programme on Thursday as part of a series of protests demanding withdrawal of the GOs on PRC implementation and resolve the issues raised by them, the Government decided to act tough and has asked all district collectors not to sanction leave to the employees.
While some collectors have given oral orders, some like the West Godavari collector have given written instructions saying that strict action would be taken against employees if they go on leave.
Leaders of the employees alleged that the government has cracked the passwords of the revenue employees and with the help of a private agency preparing wage bills as per the new PRC.
In a knee-jerk reaction to the proposed Chalo Vijayawada programme, officials have been asked to issue GO pertaining to compassionate appointments.
On the other hand, the police has set up checkpoints at different places and on highways to prevent employees from districts reaching Vijayawada. Citing Covid-19 situation as the reason the police has issued notices to employee leaders in districts and has started putting them under house arrest. They have been told not to go to Vijayawada. In some places leaders and members of the unions were prevented from proceeding towards Vijayawada.
Reports of detentions have come from Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Anantapur and other districts.
The police have also set up check posts on the highway near Tuni in East Godavari district to check the vehicles to stop employees heading for Vijayawada.
Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanti Rana Tata said there was no permission for Chalo Vijayawada. The police received an application for permission but they denied it as a huge congregation cannot be allowed in view of the pandemic situation, he said.
Meanwhile, state-level leaders of the unions made it clear that they will go ahead with Chalo Vijayawada despite arrests, detentions and other measures by the government to foil their programme. It is learnt that already over 5,000 of them had reached Vijayawada and were at different places. Some leaders have even gone underground, it is being said.
As part of the protest, the unions had set on fire their pay slips and copies of PRC GO and reiterated that the proposed Chalo Vijayawada programme would be held from 10 am to 2 pm on Thursday.