Vijayawada, April 2: The Andhra Pradesh NGGO Association has described the passage of the Bill in Parliament granting statutory recognition to Amaravati as the permanent capital of the State as a moment of pride for all Telugu people.
Addressing a press conference at the NGGO Home in Gandhinagar here on Thursday, association president A. Vidyasagar said the approval of the Bill by both Houses of Parliament marked a significant step in providing stability and direction to the State, which had been without a clearly established capital after bifurcation.
He expressed gratitude, on behalf of government employees, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Cabinet members, and national-level leaders who supported the move to accord legal status to Amaravati.
Welcoming the State government’s decision to clear pending dues, Mr. Vidyasagar said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s approval for releasing over ₹7,000 crore towards employee-related arrears was a positive and reassuring step. He noted that while dues were being cleared in phases, employees expected an accelerated pace of disbursement.
According to him, the government had recently approved the release of ₹7,059 crore towards pending payments to serving and retired employees. The amount includes ₹1,847.83 crore under General Provident Fund (GPF), ₹3,411.03 crore towards gratuity arrears, ₹1,800 crore for leave encashment of retired employees, and ₹223.47 crore towards additional surrendered leave payments for police personnel.
He added that payments amounting to ₹1,847.83 crore under GPF and ₹76 crore each under Group Insurance and GLI had already been cleared.
Mr. Vidyasagar said the government’s responsiveness to employee concerns and its willingness to address pending financial issues were commendable. He attributed the progress to sustained efforts by the AP NGGO Association and the positive approach of the State government.
He reiterated that the association would continue to work for the protection of employees’ rights and welfare.
Later, leaders of various employee unions met the Chief Minister and conveyed their appreciation for the passage of the Amaravati Bill and the decision to release arrears. They also urged the government to take steps on the appointment of a PRC committee and expedite settlement of pending bills, including those related to surrendered leave.
