Bhatti, Harish clash over pending DA, PRC, retiree benefits.
Hyderabad: A sharp confrontation erupted between deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka and BRS MLA T Harish Rao in the Telangana Assembly on Monday, March 23, as the two leaders sparred over five pending Dearness Allowances (DA), implementation of a new Pay Revision Commission (PRC), and delays in settling retirement benefits for employees.
The heated exchange, marked by allegations and counter-allegations, continued for over half an hour, reflecting deep divisions over the government’s handling of employee-related financial issues.
Harish Rao criticised the government for delaying five DAs, claiming no other state in the country has such a backlog. He questioned the lack of clarity on the second PRC and accused the government of avoiding direct answers.
He also raised concerns over funding priorities, asking whether money was available for projects like football events, the chief minister’s camp office, and Musi river beautification, but not for clearing retirees’ dues.
Calling the government’s “humanitarian approach” superficial, he said promises like scrapping the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) remain unfulfilled.
Dissatisfied with the response, Rao announced a walkout, joined by other BRS MLAs.
Bhatti Vikramarka defended the government, blaming the previous administration for leaving behind unpaid bills worth Rs 40,154 crore, including Rs 4,574 crore related to employees.
He said the earlier government had also left three DAs pending and increased the retirement age from 58 to 61 due to financial constraints. This led to nearly 17,000 employees retiring simultaneously after March 2024, creating a heavy burden in terms of gratuity, GPF, and leave encashment.
Bhatti stated that Rs 6,146 crore in pending employee bills has already been cleared, with Rs 700 crore being released monthly and plans to raise it to Rs 1,000 crore.
He assured that medical bills are being cleared regularly and highlighted the implementation of the Employees’ Health Scheme (EHS).
He reiterated that the government is committed to resolving inherited financial challenges and will make a decision on PRC implementation after the committee submits its report.
This post was last modified on March 24, 2026 7:54 am