Telangana: Committee to review staff strength triggers anxiety among govt employees

A government-appointed committee to review staff strength across Telangana departments has triggered concerns among employees. While officials say it aims to assess staffing needs, employees fear cost-cutting, delayed benefits, and job losses—particularly among contract and outsourced workers

Hyderabad: The constitution of a committee to review staff strength across departments by the State government has sparked concern among employees.

While some view the move as a cost-cutting measure, others suspect it could be a prelude to merging departments and further reducing expenditure.

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On July 8, the State government issued G.O. Ms. No. 111, constituting a four-member committee comprising MCRHRD Director General A Santhi Kumari, Pay Revision Commissioner N Siva Sankar, Principal Secretary (Finance) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, and GAD Secretary M Raghunandan Rao.

The committee has been tasked with reviewing staff positions—including regular, contract, and outsourced workers—in all government departments, corporations, PSUs, local bodies, societies, universities, and institutions. It will assess changes in roles, core functions, and priorities of departments over time.

The panel will study the number of sanctioned, working, and vacant posts across departments and recommend whether to retain, abolish, or modify these positions. It will also assess all categories of temporary services such as contractual and outsourced appointments. The committee is expected to submit its report within 60 days.

However, the decision has raised concerns among employees. They argue that the Finance Department already holds comprehensive data on all types of staff, which is used for salary disbursement.

Telangana Udyogula Sangham chairman A Padma Chary termed the committee “a ploy to delay” long-pending benefits, including payment of five Dearness Allowances (DAs), health cards, pensions, and other dues.

“There are also concerns among employees that this is a strategy to merge departments and reduce staff to cut expenditure,” Padma Chary added.

In March, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy admitted that the government owed Rs. 8,000 crore in retirement benefits. On average, 1,000 employees retire from service each month, he had said.

Employees are also apprehensive that many departments are already under-staffed and rely on limited human resources to manage administrative functions. Any move to reduce even contract or outsourced staff could adversely affect operations.

In February this year, the government decided to terminate services of retired employees who had been re-engaged in various departments. While some were relieved, others continued to work.

Union leaders also raised questions over the inclusion of former Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari in the committee, despite her current posting as Director General of MCRHRD, calling it inconsistent with the government’s own policy.

Adding to the apprehension is the introduction of a facial recognition attendance system in the Secretariat in December last year. Some employees believe this system may be expanded to all departments statewide.