Hyderabad: Government employees, pensioners want full salaries

Hyderabad: Several employees, teachers and pensioners are up in arms against the State government's decision to impose a cut in their salaries and pensions for March.

Members of the Telangana State Employees, Teachers, Pensioners, Public Sector and Contract Employees Joint Action Committee called the Government Order 27 issued imposing the salary cut has violated its own lockdown orders and the guidelines issued by the Centre.

In a letter submitted to the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, the steering committee members K Lakshmaiah, G Sadananda Gowd, Chava Ravi, Ch Sampath Kumar and others said, "the State government lockdown orders barred removal and deduction of employees and their salaries in the government and private sectors, including the contract and outsourcing employees."

They reminded in their letter that the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment also had issued guidelines asking not to remove employees or deduct their salaries during the lockdown period, as it will further complicate the trouble created by the COVID-19.

Besides, such actions will hit the confidence of the employees and adversely impact the economy defeating the very fight against coronavirus in the country, they added.

However, contrary to all these, the State government without even consulting the associations concerned or seeking additional funds from the Centre took a unilateral decision.

In turn, it will hurt the middle class and lower-rung employees and their dependent families, at a time, they are also facing financial crunch due to delay in the announcement of PRC and release of two DAs.

The JAC also expressed its disbelief that the State economy has become volatile just by losing only six to seven working days in March.