Andhra CM announces Diwali bonanza for govt employees, including DA

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced a set of benefits for government employees as part of the Diwali bonanza, including release of one Dearness Allowance from November 1.

The chief minister said that the state government will incur an expenditure of Rs 160 crore per month towards Dearness Allowance (DA).

"As part of the Diwali festival package, we are releasing one installment of the Dearness Allowance to employees from November 1," said Naidu in an official release late on Saturday.

The CM announced that the government will settle one portion of the police department's earned leave payments, splitting the amount into two equal installments of Rs 105 crore.

Naidu further mentioned that the health insurance scheme for employees will be streamlined within 60 days and announced that child care leave of 180 days can be availed before retirement.

According to the CM, property tax has been waived for buildings of government employees' association offices and promotions to Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees have been cleared as a Diwali gift.

The TDP supremo said that some posts will be redesignated by changing their nomenclature and urged employee associations to leave the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) issue to him, assuring that an announcement would be only a matter of days.

Naidu maintained that the state government, despite the financial crisis, had released Rs 15,921 crore dues to employees and uploaded Rs 23,556 crore of pending dues of the previous YSRCP regime into the system.

He observed that the state has been spending Rs 51,452 crore--91 per cent--on establishments, while neighbouring states have 'significantly lower figures' -- Telangana at 38 per cent, Tamil Nadu at 42 per cent and Karnataka at 39 per cent.

"Salaries are being paid on the first day of every month and a Cabinet sub-committee will take up employee-related issues and resolve them," he said.