Telangana Gazetted Officers Warn of Action
The Telangana Gazetted Officers’ Association has urged the government to resolve their long-standing issues at the earliest.
Hyderabad:The Telangana Gazetted Officers’ Association has urged the government to resolve their long-standing issues at the earliest. If this was not done, the association said, it would decide on its future course of action on March 12 during a joint action committee (JAC) meeting.
Addressing the media, association president Eluri Sreenivas Rao said, “We are under pressure from employees to decide on our future course of action. We have high expectations from this government and have been patiently waiting, understanding their financial constraints. However, there are nearly 400 demands that do not require any financial expenditure and can be resolved if the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister engage with us. Meeting various officials in the Secretariat has become our only task.”
Highlighting the financial struggles of employees, he said, “Pending bills have surged to `8,000 crore and an additional `2,000 crore in government contributions under the contributory pension scheme (CPS) remains unpaid. Apart from regular pensions, no other payments are being processed. These pending bills range from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh.”
Explaining the hardships faced by employees, he added that many are being forced to take private loans at exorbitant interest rates. He also pointed out that PRC chairman N. Shiv Shankar stated that the pay revision report will be submitted only when the government requests it.
The employees’ key demands include the payment of four pending dearness allowances (DAs), abolition of CPS and reinstatement of the old pension scheme (OPS), clearance of pending dues for rented vehicles and an increase in vehicle allowances from `34,000 to `50,000 in view of rising diesel prices. They are also seeking resolutions for employees affected by GO No. 317 and an end to service extensions for retiring officials.
Association general secretary A. Satyanarayana Rao further expressed concern over the delays, stating, “The government is not even releasing our General Provident Fund (GPF) money. At the very least, pending bills should be cleared for employees. Ministerial directions are being ignored by officials, and we are unsure if they have an agenda of their own.”
