AP: Teachers stage dharna demanding implementation of pending issues

Kakinada, Feb 13 (TNT):Teachers owing allegiance to the State Teachers Union (STU), as part of a statewide agitation, staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Friday, pressing for the immediate implementation of their long-pending demands.
The protesters demanded the announcement of the 12th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) committee, sanction of interim relief, payment of pending arrears, abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), and implementation of assurances made in the election manifesto.
Addressing the gathering, STU State Udyama Vani Convenor K.V. Sekhar said employees, teachers and pensioners across the State were deeply concerned over the inordinate delay in constituting the 12th PRC, even 30 months after the completion of the 11th PRC tenure.
He recalled that though Dr. Manmohan Singh was appointed as the PRC committee chairman, he resigned in June 2024, after which the government failed to reconstitute the panel.
This, he alleged, reflected the government’s complacency towards employees’ issues.
With the PRC announcement being delayed, Mr. Sekhar demanded the immediate sanction of 30 per cent interim relief in view of rising prices, and the early notification of the PRC.
STU State Secretary K. Kasi Viswanath alleged that arrears amounting to nearly ₹23,000 crore were pending by June 2024 during the previous government’s tenure, which have now risen to about ₹34,000 crore due to meagre payments by the present government.
He expressed concern over the mounting backlog of 11th PRC arrears, DA arrears, surrender leave arrears, PF dues and pending medical bills, noting that only one DA instalment had been released against four due since January 2024.
STU district president S. Satyanarayana, general secretary P. Ramakrishna, treasurer G. Ramateja, additional secretary M. Srinivas, senior leaders Subbaraju, N.S.S. Venkateswararao, Ramaraghava, D.V.S. Raju, and teachers from 21 mandals participated in the protest.
TNT TMR