Vikramarka says, 'KCR has dictatorial attitude towards RTC employees'

The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday slammed Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Vikramarka said that Chief Minister Rao has a dictatorial attitude towards the striking Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees. He also mentioned that the RTC employees had submitted their demands to the Chief Minister's Office around two months back but the government did not take any action.

"It is unfortunate that the Telangana government sacked around 50,000 RTC employees. Rao has a dictatorial attitude towards all the state's employees, including RTC. Neither the government nor any of its representatives initiated a dialogue with the RTC employees about their demands. People in the state are suffering because there are no transportation facilities," Vikramarka said.

READ | RTC Stir: KCR Says, Employees Are Not Sacked They Opted Out Of Jobs

The CLP leader said that Rao had 'categorically' supported RTC employees and promised that he will merge it with the state government if he comes to power, but he did not deliver on his promise. "The sacked RTC employees have to be taken back. The government needs to have a dialogue with them and find a solution to the problem. The employees have genuine demands and they have been making these demands for a long time," he said. The Chief Minister, on the other hand, has said that there will be no talks with the RTC employees, who have been on an indefinite strike demanding its merger with the government.

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'Not sacked, opted out of jobs'

Earlier on Monday, CM Rao said the Government did not dismiss any agitating employees as it is self-explanatory that those who did not report for duty within the deadline opted out of their jobs themselves. An official release issued by the chief minister's office reiterated that as far as the Government or the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation is concerned, there are only 1,200 employees and the rest opted out of their jobs.  

"In the view of the Government and RTC, there are only 1200 employees. The government has no necessity to dismiss the remaining employees. Since they have not joined their duties within the deadline, it is assumed that they opted for self-dismissal... they all left (jobs) by themselves. They did not respond to the requests made by the RTC management or the government," the release quoted Rao as saying. 

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Protest demanding RTC & Government merger 

Different employees' and workers' unions of the TSRTC began an indefinite strike on Friday midnight across Telangana following a call given by the Joint Action Committee of the corporation, demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among other things. Indicating its firm stand against the strike, the state government had earlier said the stir was illegal and set 6 pm on October 5 as a deadline for the agitating employees to report for duty. 

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(with ANI inputs)