Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday called upon government employees to work for an additional hour every day to help strengthen finances, increase revenue generation and improve the delivery of public services. He urged employees and officials to focus on curbing illegal activities, plugging revenue leakages, identifying tax evaders and ensuring strict collection of tax arrears so that the state could mobilise more resources for welfare of employees and people.
Addressing a meeting after the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with 16 banks for providing accident insurance coverage of up to ₹1.5 crore to government employees, contract workers and outsourcing staff, the Chief Minister said the success of every welfare scheme depended on the dedication and efficiency of government employees. He said additional revenue generated through better enforcement and administrative efficiency would be utilised for both employee welfare and public welfare.
Revanth Reddy noted that the accident insurance initiative was first introduced in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), where the families of 45 workers who died in accidents were provided insurance assistance of ₹1 crore each, he said the government had decided to extend the benefit.
The Chief Minister appealed to employees to directly bring their grievances and demands to his attention, assuring them that the government was ready to resolve issues through dialogue. He said the Congress government viewed employees with respect and recognised their role in ensuring welfare benefits reached people at the grassroots level.
Criticising the previous BRS government, Revanth Reddy saud that Telangana had been burdened with debts of ₹8.11 lakh crore during the past decade, pushing the state into severe financial distress. He said the previous government had borrowed heavily at interest rates exceeding 11 per cent and had disrupted administrative systems, resulting in delayed salary payments and instalment-based disbursements to employees. He said the Congress government had worked with the Centre to reduce borrowing costs to around 7.5 per cent and had spent nearly ₹2 lakh crore on debt servicing during the 30 months since assuming office.
The Chief Minister said the government had restored financial discipline and ensured that salaries were credited to employees on the first day of every month from January 1, 2024, despite fiscal challenges. He added that nearly ₹2,000 crore was being released every month towards retirement benefits and other pending employee dues, fulfilling promises made to the workforce in a phased manner.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Opposition for obstructing major development projects such as the Musi River rejuvenation programme, Metro Rail expansion and the Regional Ring Road. Accusing BRS leader K. Chandrashekar Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao of acting against public interests, he alleged that the Opposition was attempting to stall initiatives designed to benefit the people.
Stating that he had not taken a single day of leave in the last 30 months, Revanth Reddy said every visit to Delhi was aimed at safeguarding Telangana’s interests and securing support for the state’s growth agenda. He maintained that all major plans conceived by the government were gradually taking shape and reiterated that his sole objective was to resolve public issues, accelerate development and make Telangana the leading state in the country.
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