Harish Rao accuses Telangana government of delaying Employees Health Scheme

BRS leader T Harish Rao accused the Telangana government of delaying the Employees Health Scheme despite collecting premiums from employees and pensioners. He demanded immediate issuance of health cards, refund of deductions and implementation of pending employee welfare promises.

Hyderabad: BRS deputy leader and former Minister T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of failing to implement the Employees Health Scheme (EHS) promised to government employees, teachers and pensioners despite collecting premiums for two months. He demanded the immediate issuance of health cards and refund of the deductions collected for a scheme that was yet to become operational.

In a statement, Harish Rao said the Congress government had repeatedly postponed the scheme. He reminded that the government first promised to launch it on June 2 and later shifting the date to July 15, without issuing operational guidelines or finalising agreements with network hospitals. Deducting 1.5 per cent from employees’ salaries and pensions without implementing the scheme amounted to deceiving them, he said.

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The former Minister criticised the Congress government for failing to honour its election promise made under the Abhaya Hastham manifesto even after 30 months. He also accused the government of neglecting employees by delaying the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), six pending Dearness Allowances (DAs), abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), and pension arrears.

Contrasting it with the previous BRS regime, he said the K Chandrashekhar Rao government implemented two PRCs, granted 73 per cent fitment, enhanced pensions and provided cashless medical treatment through wellness centres and empanelled hospitals. The earlier government had also planned a stronger health scheme based on a one per cent employee contribution, he added.

Harish Rao alleged that the government had failed to release funds under the police security scheme, neglected journalists’ health cards, commissioned reports claiming government employees were overpaid and recently threatened retired engineers. He warned that the BRS would launch an agitation if employee-related promises remained unfulfilled.