TG Staff Gear Up for First Major Protest against Congress Government

MAHESH AVADHUTHA | Hyderabad 

Government employees across Telangana are preparing for a major protest beginning April 17, marking the first large scale agitation by employee unions since the Congress government assumed office in December 2023. The decision comes amid growing dissatisfaction among employees over the delay in addressing long pending demands, with pressure mounting from grassroots workers on union leadership to intensify their response.

The Telangana Government Employees Joint Action Committee has announced a phased protest plan, starting with lunch-hour demonstrations at mandal, division and district levels on April 17. This will be followed by larger dharnas at district headquarters and key protest venues including Indira Park on May 5. If the government fails to respond positively, the JAC will convene again on May 14 to decide the future course of action, signaling the possibility of a prolonged agitation.

Employee leaders say there is widespread resentment over what they describe as the government’s inaction on critical financial and service related issues. While pensioners and teachers have held independent protests in recent months, this is the first time in nearly two and a half years that government employees as a collective are mobilising against the ruling dispensation.

The current unrest follows earlier attempts at negotiation. Last year, employee unions called for a bus yatra across erstwhile districts in September and a major “Chalo Hyderabad” protest in October. At that time, the government intervened through a ministers’ sub committee led by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, offering assurances that temporarily diffused tensions and caused employees to call off their protest plans altogether.

However, employees now argue that little tangible progress has been made. Their key demands include immediate implementation of the pending Pay Revision Commission with a 51 percent fitment, clearance of pending retirement dues by increasing monthly allocations to at least Rs 1,500 crore, release of arrears including multiple pending Dearness Allowances, and restoration of the old pension scheme by scrapping the contributory system. They have also called for the rollout of employee health cards, regular transfers, and institutional mechanisms like joint staff council meetings .

Union leaders point out that over Rs10,000 crore in retirement benefits remains unpaid, with around 600 employees retiring every month, adding further financial strain. They argue that the current monthly allocation of about Rs 700 crore is insufficient to meet obligations.

In contrast, the Andhra Pradesh government recently cleared a substantial portion of pending employee dues by allocating over Rs 7,000 crore in a single tranche. The one-time settlement was aimed at addressing long-pending retirement benefits and easing financial stress among pensioners. Employee leaders in Telangana are citing this move as a model, urging their government to consider a similar large-scale allocation to resolve dues comprehensively.

Negotiations and DA announcement not ruled out?

While there is speculation that the government may attempt last-minute negotiations or announce partial relief such as DA payments, employee representatives insist that incremental measures will not address the core issues this time. PRC implementation is one of the key demand this time. All eyes are now on how the government responds before April 17, as a full scale agitation could pose a significant administrative and political challenge.