Telangana govt to privatise 50% buses, sets 3-day deadline for striking employees

Chandrashekara Rao

Hyderabad, Nov 02: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday announced the privatisation of 50% of the state's bus services and set a three-day deadline for protesting employees to resume their duties.

Rao said the state cabinet decided to allot 5,100 of 10,400 routes to private operators and warned that the other routes would also be given to them if those on strike don't join duty by the midnight of November 5.

Clarifying that only 'loss-making' routes would be given to private operators, Rao said the Centre would be informed about the state government's decision on allotting routes as was laid down in their new guidelines.

"I appeal to the RTC employees to take this opportunity, keeping in view the welfare of their families. We want to give them (striking employees) one more chance," he said.

"If the employees do not join duty unconditionally in three days, that is November 5 midnight, the other routes will also be given to private operators," he said in a media briefing after the cabinet meet.

He said there would be a transport commission to regulate the private operators so that the passengers were not fleeced. The Chief Minister further said the cabinet had decided not to merge the RTC with the government, a key demand of the employees.

He blamed opposition parties and union leaders for allegedly instigating the Telangana Stat Road Transport Corporation employees. Employees and unions of the bus corporation started the indefinite strike from October 5 across Telangana demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among others.

with PTI inputs