Retired employees stage fast, demand clearance of pending dues in Kothagudem

Retired employees in Kothagudem and Bhupalpally, under the banner of the Retired Employees Association and Telangana Government Pensioners JAC, staged a one-day fast demanding immediate clearance of pending retirement dues. Retired Police Officers Welfare Association president S Srinivasa Rao criticised the Congress government for failing to implement the promised cashless Employees Health Scheme even after two years.

Kothagudem/Bhupalpally: Retired Employees Association and Telangana Government Pensioners Joint Action Committee (JAC) demanded that the State government clear all retirement dues at once.

The JAC and the association members staged a one-day fast at the district collectorate here on Wednesday. Later, they met with the district officials and submitted petitions with regard to the demands and problems.

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Speaking to the media the association president Gaddam Mutyam, leaders Krishna Rao, Ram Babu, Ramakrishna, D. Rajeshwari and others complained that the government was acting negligently towards retired employees.

Many were facing financial difficulties and it was sad that many ailing employees died after retirement while being treated in hospitals as they could not afford proper treatment due to heavy costs. The government should immediately clear all pending retirement dues, they demanded.

It was for the first time in the history of the State that benefits have not been given even after almost 20 months of retirement. The Congress government which promised cashless treatment through Employees Health Scheme (EHS) failed to implement even after 24 months after coming to power, complained Retired Police Officers Welfare Association president, S Srinivasa Rao.

Meanwhile, in Bhupalpally, a retired district welfare officer Chinnayya, who was on hospital bed battling an illness, demanded the government to clear his pending retirement benefits. The family has been financially devastated as they did not receive retirement benefits worth about Rs 56 lakh even as 10 months passed since he retired from service.

After undergoing treatment for a month at Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital in Hyderabad, he has incurred a debt of about Rs 18 lakh. He came home unable to pay the bills any further. He recently took out a loan and underwent chemotherapy once and missed out another round of therapy as he could not afford it.

He was pleading with the government to respond immediately and provide benefits to save his life. The leaders of the employees unions have also taken Chinnayya’s health and financial situation to the attention of the government, but in vain.