VIJAYAWADA: The state government has issued orders extending the time for free accommodation to its employees in Amaravati.
Though the government had earlier decided to dispense with the free accommodation to its employees in Amaravati on November 1, 2021, it has now extended the time till April 2022, following the request of the employees.
The state government provided free accommodation to secretariat employees, heads of departments, corporations, assembly and high court staff in 2016 after the capital was shifted to here from Hyderabad. The then government had provided transit accommodation to the employees as shifting of the capital was made when the 10 year tenure of the common capital was still in force.
The government hired several flats in more than half-a-dozen apartment complexes paying monthly rental ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. The government was also paying electricity, maintenance, cable, and drinking water bills in these flats for the benefit of the employees.
However, having paid for so many months, the state government decided in September this year to dispense with the transit accommodation from November 1. The government had directed all its employees to make their own accommodation as the amount had become a burden on the exchequer.
The employees, who initially accepted the government’s decision, then made a special request to continue the facility for one more year.
Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who reviewed the request of the AP secretariat employees, agreed to extend the facility for another six months.
Principal secretary Praveen Prakash communicated the chief minister’s decision to the employees. However, he told the staff that a formal order would be issued by the competent authority later.
