Telangana Government Forms Committee to Address Employee Welfare and Grievances

Hyderabad: The state government on Tuesday constituted a committee of IAS officers headed by revenue principal secretary Navin Mittal to hold consultations with employees unions on pending issues. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.

The move comes after various state government's employees' associations formed a JAC (joint action committee) to launch state-wide agitation programmes from June, demanding resolution of their long-pending demands. The three-member committee also comprises panchayati raj and rural sevelopment secretary Lokesh Kumar and Transco chairman and managing director D. Krishna Bhaskar as members.

In its terms of reference to the committee, the government has directed the committee to discuss matters related to welfare measures and grievances with employee unions and stakeholders, identify, categorise and examine pending issues and submit a consolidated report with specific and viable recommendations. The committee is to meet with associations regularly, maintain minutes of discussions and ensure transparency in proceedings.

On Sunday last, the JAC had announced plans to hold a maha dharna in the city on June 9, and in district headquarters starting June 15. The JAC leaders stated that if the state government failed to resolve their demands by June 15, they will be left with no option but to go on indefinite strike from June 16.

The JAC leaders said that they had been waiting for 17 months since the Congress came to power in December 2023, but the government had failed to respond or hold talks on their demands so far.

The JAC leaders has listed several demands that they said were non-negotiable, and said the government must address these urgently. The demands include immediate clearance of pending bills worth ₹9,000 crore, payment of five pending DAs, implementation of new Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations, restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), resolution of other service-related issues. They threatened to intensify protests with work-to-rule and pen-down agitations besides applying for mass leaves.

What JAC wants

The employees joint action committee has drawn a list of “non-negotiable” demands.

Immediate clearance of pending bills worth ₹9,000 crore.

Payment of five pending DA intalments.

Implementation of Pay Revision Commission (PRC) recommendations.

Restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS)

Resolution of service-related issues.

JAC threatens strike if there is no resolution by June 16.