30 per cent fitment announced for TS govt employees, teachers
The superannuation age also has been increased for employees and teachers up to 61 years.
Hyderabad: In a bonanza for State government employees, teachers and pensioners, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday announced a massive 30 per cent fitment under the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), retirement age enhancement from 58 to 61 years and a 25 per cent increase in gratuity amount from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 16 lakh, among other benefits. The new fitment will be effective from April 1, 2021.
Announcing the benefits in the Assembly here, the Chief Minister, pointing out that the pay revision would benefit around 9.17 lakh employees working in the State, said the State government had also fulfilled the TRS’ promise in the last election manifesto that the retirement age would be increased to 61 years.
“Unlike successive governments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the State government revised the pay scales of government employees and teachers along with ground-level staff, including contract and outsourced employees, home guards, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, SERP employees, vidya volunteers, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) and Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) employees, village administrative officers, and grant-in-aid, work-charged, daily wage and other employees,” he said.
Chandrashekhar Rao said the economic crisis coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic severely affected the State economy, which had to bear severe revenue losses. The government, however, decided to pay PRC-related arrears of 12 months to employees that would be added to the retirement benefits, he said, adding: “The State government has adopted a broader vision in solving the issues of employees and teachers who should now dedicate themselves to discharge their duties and work with commitment in public service without any lapses.”
The Chief Minister said the retirement gratuity for employees and teachers would also be increased from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 16 lakh. He also announced a reduction in the age limit from 75 years to 70 years for 15 per cent additional quantum of pension to retired government employees and teachers. The government also decided to extend the family pension policy to family members of CPS (Contributory Pension Scheme) employees who died while on duty.
In case of employees and teachers with spouses working in different districts, the government will soon commence the process of inter-district transfers to ensure that they at least get to work in the same district by providing them postings in locations at the closest proximity possible.
The government, he said, had also completed the process of promotions of 80 per cent of government employees and teachers, and promotions of remaining eligible employees and teachers would be completed soon. The vacancies arising out of promotions would also be filled soon, Chandrashekhar Rao said. Additional posts of headmasters were sanctioned to take the total number of headmasters of primary schools to 10,000.
The government had already constituted a steering committee with employees associations and government officials as stakeholders to evolve the new modalities of the Employees Health Scheme (EHS) as per the PRC recommendations. It decided to issue orders permitting teachers who are natives of Andhra Pradesh and working in Telangana to return to their home State. For KGBV women staff, maternity leave would be provided for 180 days along with wages/salaries, he said.
“The government employees and teachers played a crucial role in achieving Telangana State. They are participating with the same commitment in the development of the new State. With their cooperation, the fruits of welfare and development are reaching the people successfully. Ours is an employee-friendly government,” the Chief Minister said and reminded that apart from announcing a special increment after the State formation, the State government had provided 43 per cent fitment in 2014.
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