The driver of a Telangana RTC auto, who allegedly attempted to commit suicide on Thursday, died in a hospital here in the early hours of Friday, in Hyderabad, officials said.
Shankar Goud, a 50-year-old driver, allegedly set himself on fire by dousing petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when employees of the Telangana State Regional Transport Corporation were staging a protest in support of their demands on Thursday. They have embarked on an indefinite strike over a series of demands.
Goud, who sustained serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal and was later shifted to a super specialty hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
“He died at around 1:30 am on Friday,” a senior official said.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the incident and expressed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family members, an official statement said.
The Prime Minister assured the family that he would stand by them and provide all possible support on behalf of the government.
He said the government would hold talks with RTC workers and make sincere efforts to solve their problems.
In view of the strike by RTC employees, the state government has urged employees not to resort to extreme steps and invited them for talks.
Another RTC employee also attempted suicide in Nalgonda but did not sustain any injuries, Roads and Buildings Minister Venkat Reddy said.
With some reports claiming that an RTC employee took a similar step at his residence in Khammam on Thursday evening, the police said that the incident had nothing to do with the ongoing strike of employees and was due to family problems.
CM Reddy on Thursday directed ministers, led by Deputy Prime Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, to invite employee unions for talks on Friday.
He explained that the government deals positively with employee problems.
The RTC Staff Joint Action Committee has announced an agitation program from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandum to MLAs and other leaders.
The state cabinet on Thursday discussed the strike by RTC employees in a meeting chaired by the chief minister.
They appealed to employees not to resort to any extreme steps, indicating that the government considers its employees part of its family.
Employees began their strike on April 22 in support of a charter of 32 demands, including merging RTC with the government.
This article was generated from an automated news feed without any modifications to the text.
