Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay has urged Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to rethink on reducing the salaries of government employees and pointed out that it has sent a wrong signal to scores of frontline staff working in the medical, health, municipal and police departments against the spread of COVID-19.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, a copy of which was released to the media on Tuesday, Mr. Sanjay pledged support to the government’s initiatives on COVID-19, however, he wanted it provide more support to doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers, police constables and officers working round-the-clock by paying them salaries in full.
In addition, the government should ensure they are given the right protection wear to discharge their respective duties like masks, special suits, sanitisers and so on. The Karinmanagar MP said TS became the first State in the country to impose a cut in salaries and pensions earning itself a dubious distinction when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon the private sector and others not to retrench workers but provide them with full salaries during the lockdown period.
“Telangana had claims to be a wealthy State but within a fortnight of lockdown, the government has thrown up its hands, it is unbelievable. What is the message being sent across to the private and unorganised sector when the government itself wants to cut the salaries and pensions? Citizens already under strain due to the Coronovirus outbreak and lockdowns have become even more despondent,” he claimed.
The BJP leader also called upon the Chief Minister to take steps to ensure that lakhs of construction labour are benefitted from the accumulated ₹2,300 crore of building cess by sending the money directly into their bank accounts as the step has been cleared by the Central government.
Mr. Sanjay appealed to the partymen to come to the rescue of the poor and the downtrodden by providing them with essential provisions and food wherever possible. Heeding his call, senior leaders like former president K. Laxman, city president N. Ramchander Rao and others had begun supplying rations to poor people in their respective areas.
