Telangana Cabinet sets up 3-member committee to look into RTC staff demands

Hyderabad: The Telangana state Cabinet has decided to set up a committee with senior IAS Officers to examine the demands of RTC employees. The three-member committee will submit a report to the state government. The Cabinet has also decided to constitute permanent Cabinet sub-committees to advise the government from time to time. The programmes implemented by departments concerned will also come under the committee's purview. The Cabinet also decided to formulate a policy to mobilise Telangana state agriculture products and a poultry policy.

Led by Mr Somesh Kumar, special chief secretary, as its chairman, the committee has Principal secretary Ramakrishna Rao and Principal Secretary Sunil Sharma as members. The committee will hold discussions with RTC employees and unions. After thoroughly examining the demands of RTC employees, the committee will submit the report as early as possible to the state government. The government accordingly will initiate action, based on the report.

The state Cabinet met at Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The meeting commenced at 4 pm and continued late into the night.

The Cabinet appealed to the RTC employees to withdraw the strike call and to think of the financial performance of RTC. The Cabinet suggested that since the employees have already put forward their demands, they should now discuss it with the committee.

The Cabinet has decided to save the RTC, which provides transport facility to the poor and middle-class people. The Cabinet discussed the strategy, while the Chief Minister has decided to take all possible measures to protect the RTC after the committee submits its report.

The Cabinet made it very clear that there is every possibility for an amicable solution. Under these circumstances, the Cabinet appealed to the RTC unions not to resort to strike that would lead to losses to the RTC. Moreover, the strike has been called at a time when people in large numbers will travel to their native places to celebrate Dasara.

The Telangana Cabinet has decided to constitute permanent Cabinet sub-committees to advise from time to time the government and to monitor programmes being implemented by concerned departments. Accordingly, the following sub-committees have been nominated.

1. Medical and health committee: Chairman health minister Etela Rajender

2. Rural sanitation committee: Chairman panchayati raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao

3. Urban sanitation committee: Chairman municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao

4. Resource mobilisation committee: Chairman finance minister T. Harish Rao

5. Greenery committee: Chairman forest minister Indrakaran Reddy

6. Agriculture committee: Chairman agriculture minister Niranjan Reddy

7. Poultry committee: Chairman animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav

8. Welfare committee: Chairman welfare minister Koppula Eashwar

The Cabinet further discussed at length on agriculture-related issues. Subsequently, the collector’s conference would take place on October 10.