PACS employees stage protest for implementation of G.O. 36

The Andhra Pradesh State Agricultural Co-operative Societies Employees' Union (affiliated to CITU) has staged a protest demanding immediate implementation of G.O. 36 and resolution of long-pending employee issues.

On Monday, Union leaders T. Venkata Ramayya, P. Satyanarayana and K. Satyanarayana said the government had issued G.O. 36 to implement an HR policy and pay scales for employees working in Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), but district-level authorities have failed to act on it. They alleged that despite repeated representations to the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, the Managing Director of APCOB and the CEOs of District Cooperative Central Banks, officials have been delaying the process under various pretexts.

The union leaders pointed out that even after Minister K. Atchannaidu's intervention and directions from the Special Secretary for Cooperation, no concrete progress has been made.

They said that although employees completed all requirements such as computerisation and ERP data entry, authorities were now citing incomplete audits to defer implementation.

They had earlier postponed their protest based on the assurances from APCOB officials but decided to go ahead this time as no justice was done.

The employees are also seeking pending pay revisions for 2019 and 2024, enhancement of gratuity limits, increase in retirement age to 62 years, insurance coverage for employees, and regularisation of temporary staff. The union urged the State government to resolve the employees’ issues and ensure that cooperative societies continue to serve the farming community effectively.