KCR: 'No merger of TSRTC with Telangana government on any condition'

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday firmly said, "There will no merger of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) with the Telangana government on any condition." According to him, "On any condition, there is no merger of RTC with government, this is decided by the state cabinet." Further, he has set a deadline of November 5 for the protesting TSRTC employees to join back to their duties. Addressing the media, the Chief Minister also mentioned that a 67 per cent salary hike has been done by the state government for the RTC employees. 

'Strike is declared illegal'

According to reports, the TRSTC strike has been declared as 'illegal' by the labour commissioner. Speaking to the media, Rao said, "If any strike is declared illegal then the employees and department relation do not exist. This agitation has started especially during the students' exams and festive season." He further added that, "The Central Government has brought the Motor Vehicle Act which permits privatisation, it is the law of land. That is the reason we have taken this decision."

Read: TSRTC strike: BJP slams KCR government for decision of 5,000 pvt buses

On the privatisation 

According to the Telangana CM, K Chandrashekar Rao, after the privatisation, all the passes will be valid and accepted. He said, "I am not bulldozing, according to the Centre's decision, we are acting. We will always work by keeping the public necessity in mind. 5,100 private buses are given route permit in the state." According to him, the RTC employees are demanding never-ending wishes. He also stated that all the TSRTC employees who turn back to their duties before November will only be accepted. 

Read: Merger of RTC with govt impossible, says Telangana CM

On BJP slamming KCR govt

The Telangana unit of BJP has criticised the K Chandrashekar Rao-led state government on Saturday over its decisions taken regarding the strike of TSRTC employees. BJP has said the decisions by the KCR government has been done with "highly suspicious" intentions. According to Rao, "The opposition parties are the killers. They are provoking the RTC employees and they are responsible for their deaths. RTC Unions and opposition parties are the 100 per cent culprits. Nobody can dictate the government. Wherever the BJP government is present privatisation has been done by them. It is BJP who removed RTC in Madhya Pradesh. If we obey the RTC demands then the other corporations will also demand the same."

Read: Telangana: RTC worker commits suicide, 4th since strikes began

Strike intensifies

The TSRTC employees had started a strike on October 5. According to reports, over time, the employees intensified their indefinite protest against the sacking of over 40,000 employees by the state government. During the protests, some RTC employees have lost their lives. 

Read: RTC Strike: BJP, Cong support RTC employees' strike in Telangana

(With ANI Inputs)