Hyderabad: Retired employees and contractors staged a protest over pending bills outside Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s chamber on Monday. They demanded clearance of bills that they said had remained unpaid for several years.
The protesters gathered at the Telangana Secretariat to bring their grievances to the government’s notice. However, security personnel stopped them, leading to a heated argument and a brief scuffle.
They said the prolonged delay in clearing bills had caused severe financial hardship. The protesters also alleged that officials had denied them meetings with Bhatti Vikramarka and the Finance Secretary. They said repeated visits to the Secretariat had failed to secure an appointment. As a result, they could not directly explain their problems to the Deputy Chief Minister.
Protest over pending bills leads to heated exchange
The retired employees and contractors then sat outside Bhatti Vikramarka’s chamber. They said they would remain there until officials arranged a meeting with him. The protesters also raised slogans against the government. Subsequently, Secretariat security personnel and police intervened and tried to disperse the gathering.
The intervention led to another heated exchange between the protesters and security personnel. Tension continued at the Secretariat for some time during the protest over pending bills. The protesters maintained that they wanted an appointment with the Deputy Chief Minister. They sought a resolution to their grievances and clearance of their long-pending bills.