The Telangana Cabinet has taken a significant decision to withhold 50% of the salaries of Ministers and MLAs to help clear pending dues owed to retired government employees. During a recent Cabinet meeting, ministers expressed serious concern over the mounting arrears, revealing that ₹6,200 crore is pending for regular employees while a staggering ₹8,000 crore remains unpaid to retired employees. The government has committed to exploring alternative funding options immediately and aims to make arrangements for payment of pending retiree dues within the next 100 days.
In a related development, the Cabinet made an appeal to RTC employees to withdraw their ongoing strike and attend talks under the Deputy Chief Minister’s leadership scheduled for Friday. The government emphasized its sincere commitment to resolving issues through discussions and confirmed that an officials’ committee has already been formed with positive intent to address the workers’ concerns.
Addressing the recent High Court verdict on the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission report regarding the Kaleshwaram project, the Cabinet clarified that the court did not strike down the judicial commission or reject its report. The court’s objection was raised only on technical grounds related to notice to petitioners. The government has decided to request the CBI to expedite its probe into alleged irregularities in the project and will consult legal experts in Delhi on whether to approach the Supreme Court.
The Cabinet approved the redevelopment of Gachibowli Stadium under a Public-Private Partnership model. Sports facilities for 21 disciplines will be created across 64 acres, while the stadium capacity will be expanded from 20,000 to 50,000 seats. The ambitious plan includes establishing a Sports University, athlete housing, training infrastructure, and commercial use of the remaining 12 acres to generate revenue for sports development in the state.
Funds were approved for pending land acquisition for the Chinna Kaleshwaram project in Manthani constituency. The project is expected to benefit approximately 45,000 acres and 63 villages across Mahadevpur, Kataram, Malhar Rao and Mahamutharam mandals. Additionally, the Cabinet granted approval for an Integrated Aqua Park near Sripada Yellampalli Project in Hajipur revenue limits of Mancherial district, where around 85.10 acres of irrigation department land will be transferred to the fisheries department.
The Cabinet also approved the appointment of nominated governing bodies for Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) whose elected terms have ended. This decision aims to ensure continuity in the functioning of these cooperative societies that serve farmers across the state.
