Uttam felicitates sanitation workers by showering petals and washing their feet

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded that the State Government immediately release pending salaries to entire municipal sanitation staff across the State and ensure supply of adequate Protection Equipment for medical professionals.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with other Congress leaders, felicitated the sanitation staff of Miryaguda Municipality on Tuesday by showering flowers petals and washing their feet. Congress leaders also provided them with cash incentives, masks, food items and other equipment.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy applauded the services being rendered by the sanitation staff, medical professionals and police personnel for the services they have been rendering across the Telangana State. He said they were serving the people round the clock by taking the risk to their health and lives to protect the general public. He demanded that the State Government must take care of all needs of the sanitation staff, medical professionals and police personnel in order to recognise their services.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said it was a privilege for him to felicitate the sanitation staff on the occasion of World Health Day. He expressed shock over learning the sanitation staff of Miryalguda Municipality were not paid salaries for the last two months. He said they were also not being supplied any safety equipment by the municipality. He immediately spoke to the Municipal Commissioner and urged him to release the pending salaries. He also demanded that the State Government release all pending dues of sanitation staff across Telangana on immediate basis without further delay. He said they should be paid full salaries and substantial incentives over and above the salaries.

The TPCC chief said that it was unfortunate that the State Government staff had to face a 50% cut in their salaries due to financial mismanagement of the State Government. He said almost all departments were involved in the anti-Coronavirus operations and it was immoral and unjustified to deprive the staff half of their salaries. He also condemned the government for slashing the pension amount by half and said pensioners would face hardship as they would not be able to meet their monthly needs, especially medical bills.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the statement made by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao in a press conference on Monday wherein he claimed that the State's revenues in the last week of March has dropped from estimated Rs. 2400 crore to just Rs. 6 crore was quite puzzling. In that case, he asked what happened to the revenues collected before the imposition of lockdown on March 22. Stating that the State Government must have collected over Rs. 7,000 crores in first three weeks of March, he asked the Chief Minister to clarify on their utilisation as the State Government so far did not spend a huge amount on anti-Coronavirus operations.

The TPCC Chief also urged the State Government to provide PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) to all the medical professionals. He said it was quite shocking that even after 15 days of lockdown due to Coronavirus, not all the medical professionals in the State were having protective equipment. He said there was a huge contradiction between the Chief Minister's claims and the ground reality. He said that the State Government must ensure supply of quality PPEs in adequate quantity in the interest of the State.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also participated in a programme in Palakeedu mandal in Suryapet district where food grains and other essential commodities were distributed among unorganised sector labourers.