When Telangana was formed in 2014, the monthly salary and pension bill of the state was around Rs 1,500 crore, which has now crossed Rs 6,000 crore, an increase of almost 300 per cent. The Chief Secretary clarified that the main reason for this is the continuous salary revisions taking place in the electricity department and government agencies. The situation is such that the salary of even the Chief Engineer of the power sector has reached Rs 7 lakh per month, while sweepers with 30 years of service are earning Rs 2 lakh and drivers are earning more than Rs 1 lakh. About 2 per cent of the sanitation workers who have been regularized in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) earn an average salary and allowances of Rs 70,000, which is much higher than the Rs 28,000 salary of entry-level employees.
What is the reason behind salary increase
The main reason behind this unique situation is the increase in the ‘fitment’ percentage and dearness allowance of the pay revision commissions appointed by the government. These amendments are often made in sync with the election cycle, resulting in concessions to the working class but a huge increase in the state’s fixed expenditure. The revision in power departments every four years has completely changed the salary structure, due to which the earnings of some employees have overtaken even the top administrative officers of the country.
Cleaner and driver earn more in Telangana
The picture has become clear from this revelation that a large part of the state is now spent only on paying salaries and pensions. While on one hand, getting wages is a matter of relief for the employees, on the other hand, the discrepancy that sweepers and drivers are earning more than top officials raises serious questions in the administrative system. Amidst the increasing fixed expenditure, raising funds for development works and new schemes is emerging as a big challenge for the state government.
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