Telangana employees protest over PRC, EHS, pending DAs

Government employees, teachers and pensioners staged protests across Telangana on Thursday, demanding implementation of the PRC, EHS, six pending DAs and the Old Pension System. The TGEJAC warned of further action if the State government failed to resolve their demands.

Hyderabad: Government employees, teachers and pensioners staged protests at different places across the State on Thursday, demanding implementation of the Pay Revision Committee (PRC), the Employee Health Scheme (EHS), pending six Dearness Allowances and other demands. The protests were held in front of District Collectorates and at other locations across the districts. In Hyderabad, members of the Telangana Employees, Gazetted Officers, Teachers, Workers and Pensioners Joint Action Committee (TGEJAC) assembled in large numbers at Indira Park.

Addressing the gathering, TGEJAC Chairman M Jagadeeshwar said the Congress government described itself as a “people’s government” but was causing severe unrest among employees. He said employees and pensioners had exercised patience after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy assured them that their issues would be addressed. The Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka had also given assurances on several occasions, he said.

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“Yet, the issues remain unresolved. The employees are very angry with the State government,” Jagadeeshwar said. He warned that the government could face severe backlash if it failed to resolve all pending issues immediately.

The TGEJAC had earlier announced protests across the State on August 27. It has also proposed a Mahadharna in Hyderabad on September 10. Employees said they continued to face hardships despite the Chief Minister’s instructions for effective implementation of the EHS. They attributed the problems mainly to a lack of coordination between the Finance and Health departments.

The TGEJAC also expressed displeasure over the delay in the PRC Committee’s report. Employees said the Chief Minister had promised to obtain the report by June 2 this year, but it had not been submitted. The second PRC’s term is scheduled to expire on September 30. The TGEJAC warned that it would decide its future course of action if the government extended the committee’s term further. The employees are also pressing for other demands, including implementation of the Old Pension System.

BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao extended solidarity to the protesting employees in Warangal.