HYDERABAD: Anticipating non-payment of salaries to government employees in October, which has two major festivals Dasara and Deepavali, people in various parts of Telangana are thinking of contributing their mite with provisions and other essential services without demanding money.Several merchants have come forward to supply clothes to employees’ families for free or on credit. From doctors to traders and from cloth merchants to washermen everyone is pledging support to employees as a statement of their participation in the movement.“Several employees purchase essential commodities from my shop every month. They will not be able to pay for the goods this month but we are prepared to supply essential commodities free. We will supply some commodities free and some on credit,” said L Satyam, a wholesaler in the Gunj area of Karimnagar town. The Karimnagar Chamber of Commerce, along with the BJP, has promised to supply the required goods to employees who are taking part in the Sakala Janula Samme in case their salaries are delayed or not paid.While leaders at the district level are planning to distribute essential commodities by an arrangement with traders, a few employees have made arrangements with their local shopkeepers to obtain groceries on credit. “I asked a shopkeeper in my locality to lend me commodities and he readily agreed,” said Yadaiah, an office subordinate in Mahaboobnagar town. If employees abstained from their duties for some more days, it would not be long before Telangana state was formed, he said. Adilabad Zilla Rajaka Sangham (washermen’s association) has offered to wash the clothes of employees’ family members for free during October in case the government does not pay the salaries in time. Sangham president Ch Dattu said they were abstaining from work on a single day in each village to express their support for the Samme. Washermen observed bandh at Kapri village in Jainak mandal in Adilabad district on Saturday. Even private doctors have decided to support the stir and the Adilabad chapter of Indian Medical Association president Dr M Dattu declared that a private hospital in each division would provide free service to employees and their family members who fall ill.Employees, for their part, are cutting the coat according to the cloth. M Vijaya Lakshmi, a teacher from Hanamkonda, said that her family decided not to buy clothes for the festival season.“Batukamma and Dasara are not very expensive festivals as we have decided not to purchase new clothes this year. For other expenses, we have made alternative arrangements in advance,” she said.N Veeranjaneyulu, a typist in Warangal, said he had already informed his chit fund manager and grocer that he would not be able to pay them in time due to uncertainty over salary next month and they agreed to wait till November for payments.While employees of higher grade are not tensed up over salary delay, it is the lower-rung employees who are likely to feel the pinch.However, they are expressing fears that though they can manage for one month without timely payment of salary, it will become difficult if the strike continues indefinitely. “I might withdraw some money from my savings to meet the monthly expenses including clothes and school fees of my children,” said Y Ajith Shetty, a computer operator from Nizamabad district.Some cloth merchants from Nizamabad district have promised to provide clothes to the striking employees on credit for the festival season.An office subordinate in the excise department, N Yadamma said that though the employees were fearing disciplinary action, they were given an assurance by their unions. Some employees also fear that if they back out from the strike at this juncture, when the T movement has reached its peak, the future of their children will be ruined. “If necessary, I will borrow money from private finance companies and other sources,” said Prasada Rao, a junior assistant in the animal husbandry department in Nalgonda.
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