DRF staff in Hyderabad protest pay cut, boycott duties

Hyderabad: Personnel of the Disaster Response Force (DRF), working under the Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), staged a protest on Wednesday outside the HYDRAA police station against a recent cut in their salaries. The staff have boycotted duties until their demands are addressed.

The protest follows the Telangana government’s GO No. 1272, which reduced the monthly remuneration of DRF employees by Rs 5,000. The cut has left many workers distressed, particularly as it comes during peak monsoon season when their services are most in demand.

“I’m a big fan of Revanth Reddy and didn’t wish to cause problems for the government. But we are suffering due to the cut in our salaries. The house rent alone is Rs 7,500, and I have to raise two kids. There are EMIs on top of that. How will we manage?” said one DRF official, adding that he broke down while reporting the issue to seniors at the control room.

This is not the first time the staff have raised the issue. Last month, they briefly boycotted work over the same grievance but resumed after HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath assured them the government would resolve the matter. At the time, he reiterated that the administration was committed to protecting the rights and welfare of the staff.

HYDRAA officials are currently in talks with the DRF personnel to address their concerns.