HYDERABAD: Monsoon emergency services in Hyderabad were briefly affected on Monday after marshals of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), comprising ex-servicemen, stayed away from duties to protest a salary cut.
The protest ended in the evening after HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath assured them that their salaries would not be reduced. He told the marshals that the issue would be resolved and that the government was considering an increase in salaries for employees working during natural disasters.
As many as 93 marshals gathered at Sanjeevaiah Park, Necklace Road, expressing concern over receiving about Rs 7,000 less this month than their agreed pay. The Finance department had issued an order on August 5, 2025, revising HYDRAA employees’ salaries, which triggered the protest.
Emergency works unaffected: HYDRAA
Authorities said the disparity arose because the marshals had been drawing higher pay under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) before being moved to HYDRAA. Ranganath has taken up the matter with senior officials, and the previous pay rates are being restored.
HYDRAA officials maintained that operations were unaffected, with control room marshals working as usual. The agency has deployed over 90 ex-servicemen for enforcement, vigilance, and disaster management, particularly during the ongoing monsoon.