The Andhra Pradesh Pensioners Associations Federation president G. Poornachandra Rao on Sunday said that the “pensioner-friendly” TDP should be voted back to power to ensure completion of ongoing development works such as the world-class capital city of Amaravati and the Polaravaram project.
“The fledgling ‘Navyandhra’ State is now only slowly marching towards progress after overcoming bifurcation blues. The administrative acumen of Mr. Naidu is needed now more than ever,” Mr. Rao said, adding that development would come to a standstill if the TDP was ousted from power.
Highlighting the government’s “employee-friendly” initiatives taken by the ruling TDP Government including a hike in retirement age to 60 years from 58 and 43% fitment and 20% interim relief, the association’s State convener Gurvaiah said that the erstwhile YSR Government which had introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme and cut down fitment to 16% on coming to power resulting in recurring losses to serving and retired government employees.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during his previous tenure as Chief Minister in united Andhra Pradesh had waived the collection of professional tax but the Rajasekhara Reddy government that succeeded Mr. Naidu began collecting professional tax arrears soon after coming to power, he said.