RTC employees demand for 43 percent fitment unjust: Telangana Transport Minister

Hyderabad: Stating that the State-run RTC was accumulating Rs One crore loss every day, Telangana Transport Minister Mahendar Reddy said under the circumstances, the employees’ demand for 43 per cent fitment was totally unreasonable.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Thursday, the Transport Minister made it clear that the State government was not inclined to put burden on the commuters by raising the salaries of the crew. He said the government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee with himself, Home Minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy and Finance Minister Etela Rajendar to find a satisfactory solution to both parties. He also said arrangements were being made to provide transport facility to 120 villages shortly.

Meanwhile, RTC Managing Director Sambasiva Rao has said special transport arrangements would be made for the students appearing for the EAMCET. Sambasiva Rao dwelt on RTC’s recurring losses, employees’ demand for 43% fitment and several other issues during an interview with a vernacular daily on



Thursday. On the plying of buses, the MD said they ran 12 per cent buses on the first day of the strike, 37% by noon today and hoped to ply 45% buses by this evening. He also urged all Engineering colleges to ply buses free of cost in view of the agitation by the RTC crew.

Sambasiva Rao also advised EAMCET students to make themselves available near the examination centers a day before as they would run possible number of buses from every bus depot. Adverting to the charter of demands of the agitating employees, the RTC MD said they have already implemented two of the three demands mentioned in the strike notice.

Pointing out that Road Transport Corporation and the State government were totally different, the MD expressed hope that the State government might extend some assistance if the Corporation asked for it. Making it clear that the Corporation was not against raising salaries to its employees, Sambasiva Rao said if the Corporation gets handsome revenue it can raise their salaries to their satisfaction.