What Telangana employees desire and demand before PRC

 ​Hyderabad: Foreign junkets, taking care of employees’ income tax burden, unlimited cashless health scheme, interest free housing loans and equal HRA to the employees working in rural and urban areas were among the special demands the state employees have put forth before the Pay Revision Commission (PRC).     

Thursday being the last day for submission of representations, the PRC was flooded with memoranda from the employees’ associations. Apart from the hike in their salaries, the associations are demanding more additional facilities.  The PRC had received thousands of representations from the individual employee as well as the associations in the last one month.   

Telangana Udyogula Sangam President A Padmachary said that his association is demanding that the government pay employees ‘income tax just as the way it was doing in respect of people’s representatives occupying government positions. Since the government employees were serving people like the ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, they too should have relief from payment of income tax. 

He also demanded that public representatives' salaries should be shown in a separate head of account and the expenditure incurred by the representatives should not be included in the salaries head of account of the employees. As at present, the employees are availing LTC (Leave Travel Concession) only within the state, the union leader said that the LTC should be extended anywhere in India every year and also provide facility to go on foreign tour every year. The employees will excel in the service to the people if they are provided recreation to them. 

Strongly opposing the existing health scheme adopted by the state government, the association leaders said that they had already requested the government to introduce unlimited cashless health scheme.  The scheme should be valid on all corporate hospitals in the state.  

The Telangana Gazetted Officers association demanded the government that the new pay revision of the employees should come into effect from June 2, on Telangana Formation Day, this year. The association brought to the notice of the PRC that the officials are not willing to go to rural areas as the HRA is less when compared to urban areas.  

They wanted handsome HRA to the officials working in the villages. The associations also demanded interest free loans for them to construct houses. Telangana Gazetted Head Masters association requested the PRC to sanction 15 days ritual leave for male employees when the parents expire to perform the rituals as per the customs. At present, the employees are proceeding on medical leave to perform rituals. They also wanted the maximum ceiling on HRA has to be withdrawn and make it on par with those who draw salaries as per UGC pay scales.