Yet another retired employee dies in Khammam waiting for retirement benefits

A retired English Junior Lecturer from Khammam allegedly died after facing severe stress due to non-payment of retirement benefits. Teachers’ union leaders blamed financial strain and debt for his death and demanded accountability from the State government

Khammam: Yet another retired employee died allegedly due to stress caused by the non-payment of retirement dues in Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka’s native district Khammam.

An English Junior Lecturer at the Social Welfare Gurukul College in Khammam, Sridhar retired from service on November 30, 2024. He suffered severe mental anguish as he had not received his retirement benefits from the government since the day of his retirement.

---

Consequently, the financial strain caused by the non-receipt of funds took a severe toll on his health. His family members were forced to borrow money to fund his lung transplant surgery, which he underwent recently at KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad, incurring an expenditure of approximately Rs 1.2 crore. After staying in Hyderabad and undergoing treatment for two months, he passed away on Sunday.

The deceased retired Junior Lecturer is survived by his wife and two daughters. His wife, Vattikonda Veerakumari, works as a teacher. In the past, he had served in Annapureddypalle and Dammapet in Kothagudem district.

TSUTF district leaders Ramzan and Parupalli Nageswara Rao alleged that Sridhar died due to immense mental anguish caused by the burden of debt, compounded by ill health. They said the State government must be held responsible for the death.

Despite approaching the government multiple times since last December regarding the payment of retirement benefits, there was no response. Even after appeals were made by him personally and the TSUTF State committee to the Principal Secretary (Finance), the benefits due to him were not released, they complained.

It may be recalled that a retired Sub-Inspector of Police (SI), K Maisaiah, who served in the armed police wing in the district, retired from service in February 2025 and died in February this year due to illness and alleged financial distress caused by the non-payment of retirement benefits.