Krishna Pushkaralu sanitation workers protest as Centre takes note of expenditure

Even as Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu celebrated the smooth passing of the Krishna Pushkaralu, many sanitation workers who worked on the ground were reportedly not paid their salaries.

The Times of India reported:

This led to the workers taking to the streets on Wednesday, demanding immediate payment of dues. The workers said that it was not fair on the part of the government not to release their salaries even though they worked round-the-clock to keep the surroundings clean.

"All we are asking for is our salary which we rightly deserve for all the hard work. We don't even want the credit for keeping the ghats clean. Let the government take all the credit. We just want our salaries," the newspaper quotes the workers as saying.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the state's Rs 1,600 crore expenditure for the festival has raised eyebrows in Delhi as Andhra is currently cash strapped and demanding funds from the centre.

Quoting government sources, The Hindu reported that while a part of the Pushkaram expenditure did go for permanent assets like roads and power, a major part of expenditure was temporary.

“The revenue is growing at 10 per cent, which is not bad, but the expenditure has shot up by 26 per cent in these five months. This is the mismatch, and it can be curtailed only with financial prudence and prioritising the expenditure,” the sources emphasised.