Vijayawada,Sep 27 : Village and Ward Secretariat employees in Andhra Pradesh have alleged that the government took restrictive measures to prevent them from participating in the proposed Chalo Vijayawada protest, organised to highlight their long-pending service and employment-related demands.
Employee unions alleged that permission for a protest in Vijayawada was denied and that police issued warnings across several districts to prevent employees from reaching the city. They also claimed that some employees who arrived in Vijayawada for the protest were detained, while women employees were allegedly held at Tirupati East Police Station.
Employees Allege Police Restrictions Ahead of Protest
According to employee union leaders, police monitored the movement of employees ahead of the Chalo Vijayawada protest by Village and Ward Secretariat employees.
The unions alleged that employees were prevented from participating in the protest and that action was also taken against union leaders who supported the agitation.
The unions said AP Village and Ward Secretariat Employees Association state president SK Abdul Razak and Village Surveyors Association state president Burada Madhubabu were suspended for allegedly leading the protest.
Talks Failed to Resolve Employee Issues
Employee associations said they had held two rounds of discussions with the Secretariat Department Minister and officials. However, they claimed that the talks did not result in a solution to their long-pending demands.
The unions said they were therefore forced to call for the Chalo Vijayawada employee protest to press the government for action on service-related issues.
Employees Raise Concerns Over Work Pressure
Village and Ward Secretariat employees have also raised concerns about increasing workload.
According to the unions, employees are being assigned work through various mobile applications, surveys and departmental programmes. They alleged that employees are sometimes required to work on Sundays and public holidays as well.
The unions also raised concerns over staff rationalisation orders, the multi-basing issue among secretariat employees and difficulties related to leave.
Key Demands of Secretariat Employees
The employee unions have put forward several demands, including:
- Granting notional increments to eligible employees.
- Payment of nine months of arrears linked to delayed probation.
- Providing the Junior Assistant pay scale.
- Cancelling the multi-basing system.
- Creating a promotion channel with a minimum basic pay of ₹30,000 for each post.
- Cancelling GO No. 11, which the unions claim is against employee service rules.
- Addressing long-pending service and welfare-related issues.
The unions also questioned the government’s focus on renaming secretariats as Swarna Gramam, saying similar attention should be given to the welfare and service conditions of the employees working in the system.
Employees Warn of Wider Agitation
The Employee Joint Forum said employees would not be deterred by arrests or suspensions and would continue their agitation until their demands were addressed.
Union leaders warned that if the government does not hold discussions and resolve the issues, the Village and Ward Secretariat employees’ protest could be expanded across Andhra Pradesh.
The employee associations have urged the government to initiate talks and address their long-pending demands.
