Even if you cut me, there is no money: Telangana CM to employees planning protest over DA

Hyderabad, May 5 (IANS) With the Telangana government employees planning a protest over dearness allowance and pending bills, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday said that even if they cut him, there is no money to meet their demands.

He stated that the state government is not in a position to spend more than the Rs 18,500 crore monthly revenues.

“Even if you cut me, the revenue is not more than Rs 18,500 crore. I am asking the leaders of the employees’ unions. Will you cut me?” he asked.

The Chief Minister was reacting to the protest programme announced by the Telangana State Employees, Gazetted Officers, Teachers, Workers and Pensioners Joint Action Committee (TGEJAC) to press for their demands, including clearance of pending bills worth Rs 10,000 crore.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a programme organised by a media organisation.

He also asked the union leaders to suggest whether the government should increase the prices of fuel and essential commodities to mobilise revenues to meet their demands. “Do you want me to stop paying pensions, free electricity, Shadi Mubarak. Tell people that we are stopping these schemes to increase your bonus and salaries,” he said.

Reminding the employees that under the previous government, they were not even getting salaries on the first of every month, he said that after coming to power, he ensured that they get their salaries on the first (day of month).

“Do you want to protest for salaries being paid on the first of every month. Do you want to fight against people? Will they keep quiet?” he asked.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the government was already taking steps to avoid wasteful expenditure.

“As chief minister, I can go anywhere by a special aircraft, but even in the regular flights I am travelling in economy class and not even first class,” he said.

Revanth Reddy said 9 lakh employees should know that they are also part of the government, and it was their duty to do good for the people.

The Chief Minister told the employees that the state is facing a situation where it can’t even go for borrowings and said that self-regulation is the solution in this difficult situation.

He said he was appealing to the employees’ unions not to mortgage the self-respect of the state onto the streets.

He said that unions should not become pawns in the conspiracy of political parties to destabilise the government. The existing system will collapse if the employees hold dharnas with new demands. The Telangana society will not tolerate it if the employees forget their responsibility, he added.

Lashing out at the previous government of BRS, he remarked that the person who caused economic destruction was now sleeping comfortably in the farmhouse.

He pointed out that every month, Rs 7,000 crore was going towards repayment of loans taken by the previous government. He alleged that the BRS government kept pending Rs 8,500 crore retirement benefits of the employees.

--IANS

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