BRS walks out over pending DAs, retirement benefits and PRC delay

BRS staged a walkout in the Assembly over pending dearness allowances, delayed retirement benefits and PRC implementation. The government cited monthly payments and pending decisions, but failed to satisfy the opposition, leading to protest

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday staged a walkout from the Assembly, protesting the Congress government’s failure to assure payment of retirement benefits, pending dearness allowances and implementation of a new Pay Revision Commission. During Question Hour, BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao said Telangana was due to pay five pending DA instalments to employees. “When will the government clear them?” he asked.

He reminded the Congress of its promise to implement a new PRC within three months of coming to power. The PRC Committee’s term, after extensions, would end on March 31, he pointed out and asked if it would be extended again. He said many retired employees were facing hardships due to delays in the payment of retirement benefits. “How many employees have retired in the past two and a half years, what is the total amount of benefits due and how much has been paid so far?” Harish Rao asked.

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The BRS Deputy Floor Leader also charged that the government had funds for Future City development, the Musi Riverfront project and Miss World events, but not for employee benefits. BRS MLA KP Vivekanand said the Congress had promised to implement the Old Pension Scheme in its manifesto. But there was no progress even after two and a half years, he said.

Referring to retired Sub-Inspector K Masaiah’s recent death in Khammam, he said the government had not paid his retirement benefits. In reply, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the government was paying Rs 700 crore every month to clear pending employee dues. “A decision on the new PRC will be taken after receiving the committee’s report,” he said, adding that four DAs were pending and a policy decision would be taken at the earliest.

Stating that the government failed to give clear replies, the BRS legislators staged a walkout from the Assembly.