Over 6,000 buses of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation will go off the roads across the state from the first shift starting in the early hours of Wednesday, following a call by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to TGSRTC employee unions in follow-up to their long-pending demands.
“All the RTC unions and various public organizations have extended their support to the strike,” JAC president Edoro Vincana told reporters, adding that the government has yet to accept many of their demands, including merging the TGSRTC with the state Ministry of Transport, paying salaries and allowances on par with government employees and implementing pending wage review committees (PRCs).
Meanwhile, the state government on Wednesday issued orders to constitute a high-level officials’ committee to study the issues raised by TGSRTC employees and submit its recommendations within four weeks.
The four-member committee will be chaired by Special Principal Secretary (Transport), with senior officials from the Labor and Finance Ministries as members, and the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of TGSRTC acting as convener.
State Transport Minister Poonam Prabhakar said in a statement that the move is aimed at resolving the ongoing RTC workers’ strike while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the public. He stated that the government has been positive about addressing employee concerns, although final decisions may take some time.
The minister said that RTC representatives will submit their complaints before the committee, after which the government will review the report and take appropriate action.
Stressing the importance of RTC services, he noted that about 65,000 passengers, mostly from rural and economically weaker areas, depend on buses daily for their livelihood.
Assuring support for both employees and passengers, he said the government was committed to safeguarding the RTC, safeguarding the welfare of workers, and ensuring uninterrupted services.
JAC leaders urged the government to intervene immediately. “The process of merging RTC with the government has not yet begun. A committee has been formed only to delay the process. While the government is moving to take over the loss-making Hyderabad Metro, it is ignoring RTC,” Venkanna alleged.
He also questioned the government’s priorities, noting that development works such as the Musi River Project were being implemented despite allegations of poor financial conditions. “There appears to be a plan to privatize RTC assets under the guise of introducing electric buses. Efforts are being made to phase out RTC operations in Hyderabad and hand over RTC lands to individuals,” he said.
Venkanna also called on RTC’s outsourcing employees to participate in the strike, warning that the unrest could escalate into a broader mass movement. “The RTC strike is likely to turn into another popular movement,” he added.
