The long-standing grievances of Telangana government employees and retirees have taken center stage in the state’s political arena, coinciding with the upcoming municipal elections. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar recently addressed an open letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, highlighting the dire situation of over 3 lakh regular employees and 4 lakh pensioners. The row intensified following unique protests in Karimnagar, where retired employees displayed banners and boards on their gates to draw attention to their unpaid retirement benefits and pending Dearness Allowance (DA).
In his letter, Bandi Sanjay criticized the state government for its “negligent attitude,” pointing out that five installments of DA are currently pending for both regular and retired staff. He specifically noted that since 2024, approximately 13,000 employees have retired but are yet to receive their earned benefits, including gratuity, EPF, and leave encashment. Furthermore, the Union Minister slammed the government for the two-and-a-half-year delay in implementing the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and for failing to even call for the commission’s report, which was due in July 2023.
The Union Minister expressed deep concern over the human cost of these delays, claiming that 61 retired employees have passed away over the last year due to mental agony and financial distress caused by the withholding of their dues. He estimated the total outstanding arrears to be over ₹12,000 crore and questioned why the government finds it a burden to pay those who served the state for decades. Warning of large-scale agitations, the BJP leader demanded the immediate release of all pending payments to ensure that retirees can live their final years with dignity and peace.
