The Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (AP JAC) Amaravati has clarified that its ongoing movement is entirely aimed at securing employees’ rights, clearing pending dues, and ensuring the implementation of promises made by the government. AP JAC Amaravati Chairman Bopparaju Venkateswarlu strongly criticised the coalition government for portraying the employees’ movement as a political agenda.
He questioned whether demanding the implementation of government promises and the settlement of employees’ pending dues could be considered a political activity.
Government’s Allegations Are Contrary to Facts
Bopparaju objected to the statement issued by the government after the AP JAC Amaravati announced its future course of action at a conference held on the 28th of this month.
The government had alleged that employee associations were disrupting efforts to hold cordial discussions and were making conspiratorial statements aimed at insulting the Chief Minister. Bopparaju said these allegations were completely contrary to the facts.
He pointed out that the government has entered its third year in office, yet employees are still fighting for the settlement of pending dues and the implementation of promises included in the election manifesto.
Why Were Decisions Not Implemented After Discussions?
Bopparaju recalled that the government had invited employee associations for discussions after they reached a situation where they were compelled to launch a movement.
A committee comprising five ministers and ten IAS officers held discussions with employee representatives on several issues. However, Bopparaju questioned why no action had been taken on the issues discussed even after nearly 40 days.
He also questioned why the government had not made public the summary or outcome of those discussions.
Employees Losing Up to 25% of Their Salaries
Bopparaju said employees were facing a situation where they were effectively losing up to 25% of their salaries every month.
He said employee associations had repeatedly requested the government to clearly show details of pending dues in their pay slips, but there had been no response from the government.
He questioned how long employees could be expected to remain patient under such circumstances.
Movement Announced Out of Compulsion
The AP JAC Amaravati chairman made it clear that the employee associations announced their protest programme only after exhausting other options.
He said the decision was taken under unavoidable circumstances and that the organisations would remain committed to the announced course of action.
According to Bopparaju, the government’s latest statement appears to be an attempt to divert attention from the actual concerns raised by employees.
‘No Political Agenda’
Bopparaju Venkateswarlu firmly reiterated that the AP JAC Amaravati movement has no political agenda.
He said the employees’ struggle is focused solely on their legitimate demands, including the clearance of pending financial dues and the implementation of promises made by the government.
He maintained that asking the government to honour its commitments cannot be described as political activity and urged the government to address the employees’ concerns instead of attempting to portray their movement in a political light.
