Telangana buses strike: 20% of TSRTC to go to private players

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Mr K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday asserted that no privatisation of TSRTC while assuring budgetary support to the corporation in wake of Telangana buses strike. Privatising the RTC would not be at all a prudence act, further opined Mr KCR. The TRS government is mulling over classifying the RTC fleet into three categories.

The Chief Minister reviewed the situation at TSRTC in the wake of ongoing strike with the officials concerned here at Pragati Bhavan on Monday. The transport department principal secretary Mr Sunil Sharma-led three-member committee has submitted its report to the Chief Minister. Subsequently, the CM reviewed for the second time within 24 hours.

"The TRS government doesn’t want to privatise TSRTC. Our main objective is to ensure quality services to passengers. We're making several measures to strengthen the RTC. We have to ensure discipline among RTC employees and make the corporation a profitable venture. TSRTC has 10,400 buses. We have to categorise the bus fleet into three levels. As many as 5,200 buses, 50 per cent of the bus fleet, should belong to TSRTC. The number of hire buses should be limited to 3,100, accounting for 30 per cent of the total fleet. Remaining 20 per cent of the fleet, 2,100 buses, should be totally private and will be allowed on private stage carriage basis," explains Mr KCR.

The buses on hire will be kept at RTC depots and totally managed by the corporation.

"The buses on hire account for 21 per cent of the total fleet now. The management can hire more buses up to nine per cent additionally. The bus fare of RTC and private stage carriage buses should be at the same level. Private stage carriage buses should be deployed on Palle Velugu routes also. Indiscipline nature of RTC unions is the root cause of the problem. The unions have been causing disturbance for the 40 years. RTC unions used to frequently call for a strike during the regime of Congress and TDP. They're continuing same legacy during the TRS government regime as well. Unions don't allow the management to make the right decisions for strengthening the RTC.

Mr KCR has termed the employees on Telangana buses strike as 'self dismissed' lot. The state government and RTC management consider 1,200 staff on record. Remaining employees on their own left the organisation. The management didn't dismiss them, said Mr KCR.

"The state government wants private stage carriage buses to be operated in the twin cities and rural routes as well," added Mr KCR.

The Chief Minister has further assured that bus pass benefits to several sections will continue.

"Students, physically-challenged, families of Police martyrs, employees, journalists and freedom fighters will continue to get subsidised bus passes. The State government will allocate funds in the budget, he said.

Ministers P Ajay Kumar, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, government chief advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, special principal secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP Mahender Reddy, Sunil Sharma, CMO principal secretary S Narsing Rao, Transport Department Commissioner Sandeep Sultania, additional DGP Jitendra and other senior officials participated in the review meeting on Telangana buses strike.

With the employees on strike losing jobs, unions also considered being ceased to exist.

The other decisions are taken at the review meeting include...

- The management wouldn't consider those on strike as RTC employees

- No more unions

- Everything should be with prior approval of the government

-Make TSRTC a profitable venture

- New employees should get a bonus once RTC becomes profitable.

Also read: https://newsmeter.in/deep-crisis-in-public-transport-in-telangana/