AP Staff dither to occupy CRDA flats

Amaravati: The AP Secretariat employees are reluctant to occupy the newly constructed apartments. The APCRDA constructed apartments for residential purpose of the employees working at Secretariat, Heads of the Departments and others. 

The CRDA has been planning to hand over the houses to officials concerned within a couple of months. At this juncture, the employees are looking at their monetary benefits.  

The employees have been arguing that if they occupy the apartments given by the government, then they would not get the House Rental Allowance (HRA). Employees are saying that, the rents in Vijayawada, Mangalagiri, Guntur and their surrounding villages are lesser than the HRA that they have been drawing.  

Generally, the HRA is around 20 per cent of their basic salary and the State government is additionally giving another 10 per cent to those who relocated from Hyderabad to Amaravati. Hence, some of the employees are getting around 30 per cent of their basic salary as HRA. 

It may be mentioned here that more than 400 employees shifted from Hyderabad and are working here at the Secretariat and Assembly in various positions. They are also saying that they do not want to take the government apartments.

Adding to that, the employees who do not shift their families to new capital city have been shuttling between Hyderabad and Amaravati every weekend. In fact, those who did not shift their families from Hyderabad are utilsing the two holidays every week being implemented by the State government to visit their families.  

An employee working at the Secretariat said most of the employees were living alone here without their families. About five to six persons are sharing one flat. Some point out that there are no proper schools and medical facilities. Parks and other recreation facilities are yet to be created.

They also point out that the apartments are located at an isolated place away from the rest of the villages. It is worth to mention here that, it is not mandatory on the part of employees to occupy the houses being given to them by the government.  “It is our choice whether we want to take the flat or not,” an employee said.