Bhatti: BRS Govt Left Behind Employees Dues of ₹4,575 Cr
Replying to questions raised by members in the Legislative Council, Bhatti said the BRS government had increased the retirement age of employees by three years only to defer the payment of retirement benefits.
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday said the previous BRS government had left behind pending bills of ₹43,154 crore under various heads. The Congress government was committed to restoring fiscal discipline and safeguarding employee welfare by clearing dues in a time-bound manner.
Replying to questions raised by members in the Legislative Council, Bhatti said the BRS government had increased the retirement age of employees by three years only to defer the payment of retirement benefits. Had the retirement age not been raised, 26,854 employees should have retired between 2021 and 2023, whereas only 6,354 retired under the new norms during that period. Some people, unaware of the tactic, had celebrated the decision at that time, Bhatti pointed out.
Bhatti said the magnitude of pending bills was clearly documented in the financial White Paper. The Congress government had released ₹1,752 crore towards pension benefits. Pending employee-related payments stood at ₹6,244 crore, which were being cleared every month on priority. He said the government was releasing at least ₹700 crore every month to settle employee dues.
He alleged that irregular salary payments under the previous BRS regime had pushed employees into a cycle of debt, as salaries were often not credited on the first of the month, sometimes paid as late as the 18th. This resulted in employees defaulting on EMIs, leading banks to classify their accounts as defaulters.
The Congress government held consultations with employee unions and took a firm policy decision to ensure salaries were paid on the first of every month, irrespective of financial constraints, and this commitment had been honoured without a single day’s delay.
Terming the withholding of employees’ medical bills by the previous government as inhuman, Bhatti said over ₹200 crore worth of pending medical bills had been cleared so far and the rest would be settled on a monthly basis. He added that ₹560 crore in supplementary salary bills had been cleared and would not be allowed to accumulate again.
He said a joint staff council had been constituted, and employees and pensioners were being encouraged to design a suitable health scheme themselves, keeping their welfare at the forefront.
