Hyderabad: The TRS government is keen on increasing employment opportunities for the youth before thinking about raising the retirement age of government employees from the present 58 years to 60 as has been done by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Though TNGOs and Telangana Secretariat employees have represented to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, they are ready to wait.
“We requested Chief Minister, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to consider increasing the retirement age. But the government’s priority is to increase employment opportunities for the youth. We are also not in a hurry since it could be counter productive and create unrest among the youth,” TNGOs president Devi Prasad told this newspaper.
He added, “We will wait for the government to settle down and take steps to improve employment opportunities for the youth before seeking an increase in the retirement age.”
There are about four lakh government employees in the Telangana region.
Mr Rao is also cautious on the employees’ issue after protests by students in the Osmania University campus over his promise to regularise the services of contract employees.
The students have demanded that the government should first provide employment to unemployed youth.
In tune with the mood of the educated youth, the TRS government is focusing on increasing employment potential in all spheres including government, IT industry and other sectors.
However, many government employees in Telangana are keen that the government raise their retirement age on the lines of Andhra Pradesh.
It is learnt that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took the decision since the government has to pay huge pension, which was impossible at this juncture.
“It will be a good gesture if the TRS government too raises the retirement age. The life span of people has gone up hence it will be prudent to increase the retirement age,” a Secretariat leader said.
