Amid rising anxiety over job security, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) moved swiftly to calm fears, stating clearly that no meter reader currently employed will lose their position. There is no such proposal on the table.

Key facts

  • No current meter readers will be removed; no proposal exists.
  • A special meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to address concerns.
  • The board has 677 working meter readers against a proposed strength of 782.
  • Manpower agencies are paid ₹15,600 per meter reader per month.

Addressing Worker Concerns

The clarification from Managing Director K. Ashok Reddy arrives against a tense backdrop. It follows a fresh push for regularization from meter readers, a demand given greater urgency after the recent deaths of three outsourcing employees. The board acknowledges it has already sent relevant proposals to the government regarding their status.

The IFMIS Clarification Quest

At the heart of the issue is a bureaucratic classification. Following an appeal from the Telangana Outsourcing Employees JAC in November 2025, the board has been seeking clarity from the Finance Department. The specific question: can meter readers be included in the government's Integrated Financial Management and Information System (IFMIS) portal? Their work is currently classified as “activity outsourcing,” a distinction that affects their integration into official systems. The board made another request for clarification on this matter as recently as February.

Payments and Process Halts

On the thorny issue of delayed salaries for some outsourcing employees, the board pointed to procedural bottlenecks. Delays, they explained, stem from the necessary scrutiny of bills, which is often triggered by agencies themselves submitting attendance details late. The board assures that payments are being released based on eligibility. In a significant move showing good faith, the tender process for engaging new manpower agencies has been stopped entirely, pending the awaited government clarification.