While expressing dismay over the alleged withdrawal of about ₹800 crore from the employees’ GPF accounts, A.P. Government Employees’ Association president K. Suryanarayana told the media on Wednesday that Special Chief Secretary (Finance) S.S. Rawat was apparently clueless as to how it happened, and he was trying to sort out the issue with the Principal Accountant General (PAG) of A.P.
Mr. Suryanarayana said a similar thing had happened before the A.P. civil services’ joint staff council meeting took place under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma in October 2021, but they left it at that as the amounts were credited back into the employees’ accounts after they raised an alarm.
“The latest instance of debiting of money from the employees’ GPF accounts and withdrawal of the same is baffling. We have tried to meet the Special CS to seek a clarification but to no avail he is not available. We have been told that he has gone to discuss the matter with the PAG,” he observed.
The money that was debited tallied with the dearness allowance arrears for 60 months the Chief Minister had promised to clear by April 2022, he said, wondering if the deductions were a deliberate act or a mistake.
