After nearly 18 months since the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition came to power in Andhra Pradesh, state government employees have intensified their demands, pressing the Chandrababu Naidu government to resolve long-pending financial and service-related issues.
Leaders of the AP JAC Amaravati met with State Finance Minister P. Keshava on Monday in Vijayawada, presenting a detailed representation highlighting their concerns. They reminded the government of previous assurances given by the Chief Minister and urged immediate action on unresolved matters.
A key demand of the employees is greater transparency in calculating and disclosing pending dues, which they claim amount to several thousand crores of rupees. The JAC has requested that every employee’s pay slip clearly reflect the exact amounts due under various heads, including Dearness Allowance (DA), Pay Revision Commission (PRC) arrears, surrender leave encashment, earned leave encashment, medical reimbursement claims, and retirement benefits.
JAC leaders alleged that the finance department has not adequately disclosed these details, causing widespread suspicion and uncertainty among employees. They further requested the development of a dedicated software system that automatically calculates and displays each employee’s pending dues transparently on their salary slips.
Additionally, the JAC urged the government to clear priority claims on an emergency basis. These include benefits for families of deceased employees, retirement benefits for superannuated staff, emergency medical reimbursements, and essential claims such as children’s marriage expenses. They emphasized that vulnerable groups — bereaved families, retired employees, and critically ill staff — should receive top priority.
The discussions also covered issues affecting regular employees, teachers, pensioners, contract workers, outsourced personnel, and village/ward secretariat employees. Finance Minister Keshava assured the delegation that the government would take appropriate action on the matters raised.
Aamir Khan Criticises Box Office–Driven Film Judgements
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan shared thoughtful insights at the 56th International Film Festival of India, expressing concern over how films are being judged today. He said it is disappointing that the discussion around movies now revolves mostly around box office numbers. According to him, a film’s worth shouldn’t be measured only by its collections.
Aamir recalled that earlier, audiences spoke about films based on how much they enjoyed them—whether it was the story, performances, music, or emotions. But now, numbers have become the first point of conversation, which he feels has changed the entire way cinema is evaluated.
He also expressed support for making box office figures public. Citing countries like the United States, where collections are openly available, he said India should also adopt a transparent system to avoid confusion or secrecy. Since everyone already knows the number of screens and the scale of release, he feels collections should be disclosed as well.
Aamir added that comparing films solely through earnings is unfair. Each movie is unique—some earn massive numbers, while others leave a lasting emotional impact despite smaller collections. He concluded that truly good cinema stays in people’s hearts, irrespective of box office performance.