Overall, nearly 5.70 lakh beneficiaries, including employees, pensioners, police personnel and contractors, are set to gain financially from the government’s decision during the festive season

As a Sankranti bonanza, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken a key decision to provide substantial financial relief to State employees, pensioners, police personnel and contractors by releasing Rs 2,653 crore towards long-pending dues, arrears and bills.

According to official sources, a significant portion of the amount has been earmarked for clearing Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) arrears. The government has released Rs 1,100 crore towards one pending instalment of DA and DR arrears, directly benefiting around 2.25 lakh Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) employees and nearly 2.70 lakh pensioners across the State.

In another major relief, Rs 110 crore has been sanctioned for clearing surrender leave arrears of police personnel. This move is expected to benefit nearly 55,000 police officers and staff, many of whom have been awaiting settlement of their dues for a long time.

The government has also addressed long-standing concerns of contractors by releasing Rs 1,243 crore towards payment of pending bills for works executed under various schemes and projects, including EAP, NABARD, SASKI and CRIF. Of this, around Rs 40 crore has been specifically allocated for clearing bills related to the ‘Neeru-Chettu’ programme.

With this release, payment of bills will be made to more than 19,000 contractors who have undertaken development works across the State. Officials said the move would provide much-needed liquidity to the construction and infrastructure sector and help revive stalled works.

Overall, nearly 5.70 lakh beneficiaries, including employees, pensioners, police personnel and contractors, are set to gain financially from the government’s decision during the festive season.

Officials described the release as a significant step towards easing financial stress, improving morale among government staff, and boosting economic activity at the grassroots level, especially during Sankranti.