Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 26 (ANI): BJP State Chief Spokesperson and Media In-Charge N.V. Subash has cited a report by Telangana's Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao which hady raised alarm over the state's ballooning salary and pension burden, to allege a decade of fiscal mismanagement by successive governments of the BRS and Congress.

BJP State Chief Spokesperson and Media In-Charge N.V. Subash said the Chief Secretary's candid remarks confirm what the Opposition has consistently warned: fiscal indiscipline, populist appeasement, and short-term political calculations have pushed Telangana toward a financial cliff.

'For years, governments in power indulged in reckless pay hikes without rhyme or reason, competing with the Centre and other sectors merely for political mileage. Today, the Chief Secretary himself has sounded the alarm. Who must take responsibility if not the very parties that ruled the state?' Subash asked.

He accused successive administrations of prioritising political expediency over economic prudence. Instead of adopting a scientific, calibrated approach to pay revisions, governments allegedly resorted to superficial hikes aimed at pleasing employee unions and vote banks. The consequences, he said, are now staring the state in the face.

Accoring to the report, addressing deliberations linked to the 16th Finance Commission, the Chief Secretary stated that Telangana's monthly salary and pension outgo has skyrocketed from approximately Rs 1,500 crore in 2014 to nearly Rs 6,000 crore today, a fourfold surge in just ten years. This explosive rise, driven by successive pay revisions and mounting allowances, has placed enormous and unsustainable pressure on the state exchequer.

The Chief Secretary further acknowledged that salary structures across state departments and public sector undertakings have undergone frequent revisions, significantly increasing fixed expenditures. He cited examples of experienced Class IV employees in certain power utilities earning close to 2 lakh per month, while chief engineers draw salaries up to 7 lakh per month. Entry-level municipal workers' pay has also seen substantial upward revisions, with long-serving drivers and sanitation staff reportedly crossing the 1 lakh monthly mark in some cases.

While reiterating that the BJP is not opposed to fair salary hikes or employee welfare, NV Subash emphasised that remuneration must be aligned with fiscal sustainability.

'Our party has always supported just compensation for government employees. But hikes must be judicious, data-driven, and sustainable. The Central government follows established norms and fiscal responsibility frameworks. Telangana, unfortunately, chose the path of unchecked expansion,' he said.

He also criticised the unchecked expansion of administrative overheads, alleging that governments compounded the crisis by appointing a growing army of advisors and rehabilitating favoured retired bureaucrats. 'Adding layers of political appointees and unnecessary posts, while simultaneously escalating pay structures, is nothing short of fiscal adventurism. It is a suicidal model of governance,' Subash remarked.

The BJP leader warned that an ever-expanding salary and pension bill crowds out critical developmental expenditure, undermining investments in infrastructure, welfare schemes, and capital projects. 'When a disproportionate share of revenue is consumed by salaries and pensions, development suffers. Future generations will bear the cost of today's political indulgence,' he cautioned.

The BJP has called upon the state government to present a transparent fiscal roadmap, undertake structural expenditure reforms, and restore financial discipline before the situation spirals further. (ANI)