Hyderabad: The growing discontent among govt employees, pensioners, teachers and contract and outsourcing workers over the alleged delay in implementing the Second Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report and addressing other demands is likely to pose a challenge to the ruling Congress in the upcoming Graduate MLC elections in Telangana .
A large number of employees have threatened not only to vote against Congress candidates in Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduate MLC constituencies but also to campaign against govt in their personal capacity if it fails to take immediate steps to implement the PRC report, increase the monthly allocation for clearing pending bills to ₹2,000 crore and constitute a committee to examine the restoration of the old pension system. At an extended executive committee meeting held at the TGOs building in Nampally on Nov 6, under the chairmanship of TGEJAC chairperson Maram Jagadeeshwar and secretary general Eluri Sreenivasa Rao, employees discussed their long-pending demands and decided to chalk out an agitational action plan after Diwali festival to press govt for their resolution. A considerable number of them have applied for enrolment as voters for the elections, giving the employees’ community the potential to influence the electoral outcome. Though the JAC’s top leaders favour further talks with govt, a large number of employees have expressed dissatisfaction over govt’s failure and inordinate delay in fulfilling assurances given by chief minister A Revanth Reddy and deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka. They pointed out that more than two months had passed since the deputy chief minister assured them that govt would ask the PRC to submit its report and constitute a joint committee to discuss the restoration of the old pension scheme. However, no action had been taken so far. The PRC has been pending for more than three years.
