Retired Telangana government employees and contractors staged a dharna at the state Secretariat on Monday, demanding the release of long-pending retirement benefits and bills for completed public works. The protest took place outside Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s chamber, where police prevented the group from meeting him or Finance Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania.
The protesters said they had made repeated visits to the Secretariat and finance department over several months, but had not received appointments or clarity on when their payments would be released. Tension rose when police personnel stopped them from approaching the Deputy Chief Minister’s chamber, leading to heated arguments.
“Officials and police personnel are not permitting us to meet the Deputy Chief Minister or finance secretary. Unless we are given an appointment, we will not leave the Secretariat,” the protesters said, according to Deccan Chronicle.
Retired employees alleged that their retirement benefits had remained unpaid for several years despite repeated representations. A family member of a deceased retired employee said the pensioner died on August 3, 2024, without receiving any payment towards his retirement benefits. “How can a family survive without the retirement benefits,” the family member asked.
Contractors who joined the protest said officials were issuing token numbers for their bills, but the payments were not being cleared. They questioned the purpose of issuing tokens if the bills continued to remain pending. The complaints relate to works undertaken for the government, including projects connected with the “Mana Ooru, Mana Badi” programme for the renovation and improvement of government schools during the previous BRS regime.
The protest occurred while Bhatti was holding a review meeting with ministers and officials on the progress of construction works for Young India Residential Schools and BC welfare schemes. The report did not specify the total amount outstanding to the retired employees or contractors, the number of affected beneficiaries, or a payment schedule from the finance department.
The latest demonstration follows earlier protests over the same issue. Several retired employees queued at the finance department on September 17 and appealed for the release of their retirement benefits. In August 2025, contractors staged a flash protest at Bhatti’s chamber over unpaid dues. The Telangana Civil Contractors Welfare Association also held a flash protest there in March 2025, demanding clearance of long-pending bills.
The repeated protests place the focus on how pending government liabilities are being processed across departments, particularly when contractors have completed works and retired employees are awaiting statutory retirement payments. However, the finance department and the Deputy Chief Minister’s office had not announced a resolution or payment timeline in the report. The protesters’ next step was to seek an appointment with the Deputy Chief Minister or finance secretary for details on the status and release of their dues.
