The Telangana government on Tuesday, 6 May, constituted a three-member officials’ committee to negotiate with various government employee associations on their demands, amid growing unrest.
The move follows Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s assurance that the government is ready to hold talks with employee associations to discuss their issues.
The committee is headed by Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, Navin Mittal and includes Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Lokesh Kumar, and Special Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister (Finance and Planning), Krishna Bhaskar.
The committee’s terms of reference include holding consultations with recognised employee associations and stakeholders on welfare measures and grievances, identifying and categorising pending issues, and submitting a consolidated report with specific, viable recommendations within seven days.
It is required to meet regularly, maintain minutes of discussions, and ensure transparency in proceedings.
The development comes a day after Chief Minister Revanth Reddy painted a grim picture of Telangana’s finances.
Speaking at a private event in Hyderabad on 5 May, the Chief Minister declared the state bankrupt and claimed that no institution is willing to lend it money.
He stated that against a monthly requirement of ₹22,500 crore, revenues are only ₹18,500 crore, making it difficult to meet demands.
Demands and impending strikes
Telangana government employees, led by the Joint Action Committee of Telangana Employees, Gazetted Officers, Teachers, Workers, and Pensioners (TGEJAC), have urged the fulfilment of long-standing demands.
These include the release of five pending Dearness Allowance instalments, a 51 percent fitment increase, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme by abolishing the Contributory Pension System (CPS), and action on 45 non-financial demands.
The non-financial demands include filling vacant posts and resolving issues related to Government Order (GO) 317, which pertains to reorganising local cadres and regulating job allocations and transfers.
The TGEJAC has announced an agitation plan, including district-level protests with black badges on 15 May, and a maha dharna on 9 June at Indira Park, where they plan to mobilise one lakh people, according to TGEJAC Secretary General Eluri Srinivasa Rao.
Similarly, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) workers, have announced a statewide strike on Wednesday, 7 May, warning that not a single bus will leave the depots.
Despite repeated representations, including meetings with the Labour Commissioner and letters to the state, their demands – ranging from fleet modernisation to better wages and working conditions – remain unresolved.
As tensions escalated, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy urged the workers to reconsider the plan, citing the state’s fragile recovery and the risk of irreversible damage the strike poses at this juncture.
Mounting criticism
BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Tuesday lashed out at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for declaring Telangana bankrupt and demanded the Chief Minister’s resignation, alleging incompetence.
KTR challenged the Chief Minister’s claims, citing Reserve Bank of India and Comptroller and Auditor General data to counter allegations of reckless borrowing by the previous BRS government.
Similarly, employee associations have also accused the Congress government of failing to honour its 2023 election manifesto promises, including the abolition of CPS and transparent recruitment to government vacancies.
In October 2024, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and other ministers held talks with TGEJAC representatives, seeking time until March 2025 to address the issues.
A cabinet sub-committee was formed to tackle employee concerns, but its failure to hold meetings with employees has worsened the situation.