CM KCR announces salary hike for government employees

State government employees are in for a massive New Year bonanza with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday giving the nod for hike in salaries across cadres, increase in retirement age and filling of vacant posts in all departments. The decision will benefit about 9.37 lakh employees.

The Chief Minister appointed a three-member committee led by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar which will submit its recommendations in this regard by February, based on which the State Cabinet will take a final decision.

Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao said all issues pertaining to government employees, including salary hikes, raising retirement age, promotions and transfers, formulation of simplified service rules, grand farewell to retired employees along with all their benefits paid in full on the retirement day, and taking up compassionate appointments, would be resolved. The salary hike will be applicable to all government employees, grant-in-aid employees, work charged employees, daily wage employees, full-time and part-time contingent employees, home guards, Anganwadi workers, contract and outsourced employees, Asha workers, Vidya volunteers and SERP employees besides those receiving honorariums as well as pensioners.

The Chief Minister announced that salaries of TSRTC employees will also be increased and the State government will bear this additional burden if needed.

The three-member committee, comprising Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary for Finance K Ramakrishna Rao and Principal Secretary for Irrigation Rajat Kumar, will study all the issues pertaining to government employees as well as the Pay Revision Committee report to be received in the first week of January. 

It will also hold consultations with employees’ unions and associations in the second week of January to discuss issues with regard to salary hikes, retirement age, simplified service rules, promotion rules and other legal obstacles involved, among others. The Cabinet will take a final decision based on the recommendations of the Committee

In a press release, Chandrashekhar Rao recalled the role of government employees in the statehood movement and said employees of the Telangana region in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh had kept alive the identity of Telangana under the TNGOs Association. “We were confident that after the formation of the State, Telangana will prosper and the government will be able to pay better salaries to its employees. 

When Telangana was formed and it prospered as per our expectations, we increased the salaries of government employees with 42 per cent fitment. It is time that the salaries are enhanced again. Despite the financial constraints, the State government has decided to increase the salaries of all types of employees who are serving the State,” he said.

The Chief Minister recalled that in undivided Andhra Pradesh, every issue of employees was riddled with



problems with a majority of them leading to court cases that continued even after the formation of the State. The State government, he said, was bringing a logical conclusion to these issues after making several efforts, holding consultations and overcoming legal tangles.

“The State government enabled its employees to perform their duties without any hassles or inconvenience. All the remaining issues related to the employees should be resolved without any further delay. The entire process should be completed during January and February. By March onwards, all the employees should be freed from any problem,” he instructed the officials concerned.

CM Chandrashekhar Rao said the promotions in police, revenue and other departments could not be implemented due to disputes with Andhra Pradesh since the State formation. Now that all the issues had been resolved, he wanted the officials to give promotions in all departments immediately. The Departmental Promotional Committees (DPCs) would be appointed immediately in all the departments, and vacant posts would be duly filled after carrying out promotions. He asked the officials to identify vacant posts in all departments and start recruitment in February.

The Chief Minister emphasised the need for simplified service rules where every employee would be aware of his or her superannuation day on the day of appointment itself. He wanted the service rules to be framed giving complete clarity to every employee including the position that they will hold on the day of superannuation. 

Besides, promotions should be given at appropriate time without the employees forced to run around government offices. “The head of a department should ensure the welfare of his or her employees,” he suggested.

Chandrashekhar Rao said the employees serve the government and the people with commitment for a major part of their lifetime and hence, deserve a befitting and respectable farewell when they relinquished the job. “Notwithstanding whether the employee is Class-IV or head of a department, they should be felicitated on the day of superannuation and dropped respectfully at their houses in a government vehicle. 

They should get all the retirement benefits on the day of their retirement and should not be required to run from pillar to post for their retirement benefits. All senior officers should take measures in tune with the policy,” he said, adding that the retirement age for all government employees would be raised as per the electoral promise made by the TRS.

Terming the delay in appointments on compassionate grounds as unfortunate, the Chief Minister said family members who were in sorrow due to the death of their earning family member should not be made to run around government offices for such appointments. He directed the officials to complete the appointments under compassionate grounds at the earliest.