The Telangana government has decided to reduce ministerial salaries by 50% to clear dues owed to retired government employees. The move comes after the Himachal Pradesh government cut the salaries of its chief minister and cabinet colleagues to overcome a financial crunch.
State Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said all ministers have voluntarily agreed to cut their salaries by 50%, and public representatives will also forego 50% of their salaries if necessary to clear the retirement benefits due to be paid to retired employees.
The cabinet also decided to constitute a resource mobilisation sub-committee to engage with employee unions, teachers' associations, and pensioners' groups to expedite resolution. The cabinet set a target to initiate arrangements to clear the dues of retired staff within 100 days.
Pending liabilities include approximately ₹6,200 crore for serving employees and ₹8,000 crore for retired staff. The cabinet decided to explore alternative resource mobilisation measures to clear these dues.
The cabinet also decided to write to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) again to expedite the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the construction of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on Godavari River during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government.
The cabinet approved the appointment of governing bodies through a nomination process for Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (PACS) whose terms have expired, ensuring continuity in cooperative credit operations.
The cabinet also granted approval for the redevelopment of Gachibowli Indoor Stadium under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which will cover 76 acres and include facilities for 21 different sports.
