Hyderabad: Talks between Telangana government employee representatives and Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, on long-pending service-related demands ended without clear timelines on several key issues, even as the government indicated that two pending Dearness Allowances (DAs) could be released subject to approval.
The discussions on Wednesday covered the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), pending DAs, the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and clearance of employee and pensioner bills.
The Telangana Government Employees Joint Action Committee (TGEJAC) said the meeting did not provide firm commitments on all four demands and decided to convene an emergency state-level meeting to determine its next course of action.
Two DAs Proposed
According to employee representatives, the government agreed in principle to propose two pending DAs — one for the Dasara festival and another around Ugadi — subject to Cabinet approval.
Read Also: Who is IAS Sanjay Jaju? DoNER Secretary Repatriated to Telangana, Likely to Be Next Chief Secretary
Reports from employee groups put the proposed DA rates at 3.64% and 2.74%, although another report cited a slightly different figure for the first instalment. The government’s proposal therefore remains subject to the formal approval process.
Employees have been seeking payment of multiple pending DA instalments. Earlier reports said six DAs had remained pending for government employees and pensioners.
PRC Decision Still Awaited
The second Pay Revision Commission, headed by retired bureaucrat N Shivashankar, has been pending since the PRC became due on July 1, 2023.
The commission had been asked to submit its report by September 18, but subsequent reports indicated that the report was still awaited. During the latest discussions, employee representatives were told that the report could take additional time before a decision on pay revision is taken.
The delay in the PRC has been one of the principal issues raised by employee organisations in recent weeks.
CPS, Pending Bills Also Discussed
Employee organisations have also been demanding abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The government proposed forming a committee comprising employees and officials to examine the issue. However, according to the TGEJAC, no definite timeline was given for constituting the committee or submitting its report.
On pending bills, the TGEJAC sought restoration of a mechanism to clear around ₹2,000 crore every month. The government indicated that payments would continue at around ₹1,000 crore a month, according to employee representatives.
The issue of pending bills has also affected retired employees, who have been seeking clearance of pension, GPF and other retirement-related dues.
Employee Groups Give Mixed Response
The outcome of the meeting drew different responses from employee organisations.
TGEJAC chairman Maram Jagadeeshwar and secretary general Eluri Sreenivas Rao described the discussions as unsuccessful because they did not result in clear decisions or timelines on the major demands.
Meanwhile, another employees’ JAC led by V Lachi Reddy welcomed the government’s indication on releasing two DAs and said the proposed payments would provide some relief to employees.
The employee representatives are expected to discuss the outcome and decide their next course of action.
