Hyderabad: BJP Telangana president N Ramchander Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress government of deceiving lakhs of retired employees by failing to release ₹2,000 crore in pending retirement benefits. He said these funds had been delayed for over four years despite repeated assurances.
He addressed a massive protest organised by retired employees and pensioners at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park. Protesters demanded immediate clearance of dues, blaming both the present Congress and former BRS governments for ignoring their plight.
BJP calls protest a ‘Dharma Yudh’ for pension justice
Rao criticised the Congress for failing to deliver the promised ₹4,000 unemployment allowance. According to him, both regimes failed to ensure timely payments and dignified retirements.
He pointed out that the BRS government had pledged to send retirees home in government vehicles with full benefits — a promise that went unfulfilled. He claimed the Congress government had made the situation worse.
Telangana’s formation, he said, had created hopes of jobs and justice, but these hopes faded under successive governments.
Rao also targeted Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, who had promised in March to release ₹700 crore monthly for pending bills. However, not a single rupee had reached retirees so far.
He alleged that 40 retired employees had died due to mental and financial stress caused by the delay in benefits. Telangana, he added, was the only state with five pending dearness allowance (DA) hikes.
Calling the protest a “Dharma Yudh,” he urged pensioners and their families to vote wisely in the upcoming municipal elections. He said the ballot should be used to protest and hold the Congress accountable.
The BJP, he asserted, would continue to fight for the rights of retired and in-service employees, pensioners, and unemployed youth.
Senior leaders including MP Dr K Laxman, MLCs, and party office bearers also addressed the protest. They accused the Congress of dishonouring decades of public service by delaying rightful payments.