Hyderabad: The Telangana Public Sector Employees Federation has expressed grave concern at being denied payment of IR (interim relief) despite an order issued from the Chief Minister’s Office on January 6,2024. They say the order has been languishing in the finance department since then awaiting release from the state exchequer.
Documents with Deccan Chronicle indicate that GO Ms. No. 133 issued for the payment had reached the finance department on January 12, 2024. The union represents around 10,000 employees, working in public sector undertakings, co-operative societies and non-teaching staff of the universities among others.
The BRS government had constituted its second PRC in October 2023 even as the tenure of the first one formed after Telangana became a reality in 2014 had ended in July 2022.
“The BRS government constituted a second PRC (pay revision commission) on October 2, 2023 ahead of the Assembly polls in November. While the state government employees were paid IR of five per cent in December 2023 by the Congress government, we were left in the lurch and are still awaiting payment. It will be one year in another two months post the issuance of the GO if the payment is not made to us forthwith. While keeping our payments in abeyance the government has made 60 appointments to these corporations,” said a member of the Telangana Public Sector Employees Federation.
The chairman’s of the corporations are entitled to a salary of Rs 1.5 lakh per month, an OSD (officer on special duty) to assist, PA (personal assistant), conveyance for vehicle and other allowances. This, the employee unions say account for nearly Rs 4 lakh per month.
“While political appointees have benefitted and are being paid from the exchequer, we who work to earn that money are not being paid. We hope the payment materialises soon,” the employees said.
