What is happening at the meetings between various employees unions and the government over the issue of the PRC and the fitment in Andhra Pradesh secretariat? If some observers are to be believed, both the groups are busy sipping piping hot tea and gulping tasty tiffins. Nothing more and nothing less. Hours are being spent without actually focusing on the nitty gritty.

A joint staff council meet was recently organized where the leaders of 13 employees unions attended. The meeting was held in the Block 2 of the Secretariat. Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, who was to attend the meeting, had to go to Tadepalli to meet YS Jagan on some “major” issue. The meeting had to be held in the presence of three finance secretaries. While HR (finance) secretary Shashibhushan was trying to elicit the opinions of various unions, the other two secretaries – Rawant and Satyanarayana – were busy with their laptops.

After eliciting the opinions of the unions, Shashibhushan merely told the employees that he would convey the opinions of the employees to the Chief Secretary. He then offered tea and snacks to the employees, who are diabetic. The employees union leaders had nothing new to offer to the employees. Finally, CS Sameer Sharma came to the secretariat at about 8 PM.

Then the discussions were focused around the fitment. While the employees union insisted on 34 per cent, the CS stuck to 14 per cent. At the end of the meeting, both agreed to meet next week. So, the whole exercise for hours together ended with nothing but hot cups of tea, some snacks and nothing else.