Telangana Govt employees especially retired ones facing tough times since last one year

After having served for years, the retired employees are made to run from pillar to post to get the retirement benefits. Yet, they are forced to wait for long in obtaining them.

Hyderabad: The government employees and more particularly those who retired from service during the last one year are facing tough times in obtaining their retirement benefits, including gratuity, GPF, TGGLI and others. After having served for years, the retired employees are made to run from pillar to post to get the retirement benefits. Yet, they are forced to wait for long in obtaining them

Every month, about 5000 employees retire from service. These numbers are expected to increase further in 2025, 2026 and 2027 years.

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Though, the government is paying monthly pensions regularly to the retired employees but the retirement benefits continue to elude them. Many retired employees had planned to perform marriages for their children, purchase homes or clear their long term loans with the retirement benefits. However, things are getting tough for them as their plans are going awry due to the delay in payment of their retirement benefits.

Admitting the hardships faced by retired employees, an office bearer of the Joint Action Committee of Telangana Employees, Gazetted Officers, Teachers, Workers and Pensioners (TGEJAC) said it was challenging for many to meet their medical expenditure.

The medical expenses of retired employees were high. Not to mention about the hospital bills and the meager reimbursement were only compounding problems for them. When medical bills were submitted for reimbursement, about 20 percent to 40 percent was considered for reimbursement, said the office bearer of TGEJAC.

Not just the retired employees, even those in service are facing tough times, especially with escalating prices of essential commodities. The TGEJAC had even announced their action plan to stage protests across the State from October 28 to January 30 in support of their 55 demands.

Among many, the employees have been demanding payment of five DAs that were pending since July 1, 2022. Of these, one DA was paid recently.

This apart, they were demanding that all the pending bills should be cleared and E-Kuber system should be scrapped and the bills should be cleared through the treasury department as done in the past.

As the discussions with all the employees associations were completed, the State government should declare 51 percent fitment for the employees. They are insisting that the Old Pension System should be implemented and the Contributory Pension system should be scrapped.

On October 25, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had held a meeting with the Employees Joint Action Committee. Apart from assuring payment of one DA, he declared that a Cabinet Sub Committee would be formed under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

The cabinet sub committee was to conduct a meeting with the employees after Diwali but even as Christmas is fast approaching the meeting was not conducted. The employees have met the Deputy Chief Minister recently and on Friday, they have also met Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar regarding the assurances made by the government.

The employees had specifically demanded the government to stop the re-appointment and extension of service of employees after superannuation in different departments. This was against the interests of serving junior employees, particularly their promotion.