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

A woman Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employee was found hanging at her residence on Monday in Khammam city in Telangana. The deceased woman has been identified as Neerja and she was working as a conductor in the Sattupalli depot of Telangana State Road Transport Department. The incident took place in the limits of Khanapuram Haweli police station in Khammam. 

Committed suicide due to depression?

The reason for the suicide is not yet known. However, the family of the deceased has alleged that she committed suicide due to depression following the strike by RTC workers since October 5.  A case has been registered under section 174 of the CrPC and the body of the woman has been shifted to a local government hospital for autopsy. The police said that the reason for the suicide will be known after the investigation. This is the fourth alleged suicide of an RTC employee since the strike began. Two suicide cases have been reported from Khammam and one from Hyderabad and Nalgonda each so far.

TSRTC driver committed suicide on October 26

On Saturday, an employee of Telangana State Road Transportation Corporation (TSRTC) allegedly committed suicide at his residence by consuming poison, police said. The deceased has been identified as 53-year-old Venkateshwarlu, a TSRTC driver. AV Ranganath, SP, Nalgonda said, "Venkateshwarlu has committed suicide at his residence by consuming poison. He was working as a driver in Narketpalle RTC depot." He added, "The apparent reason would be his poor financial condition and he was also a drunkard. His family alleged that he had many loans and could not repay them as he was not getting salary due to the strike."

TSRTC Unions and management hold first round of talks

For the first time since the TSRTC workers began their strike, the management and unions held talks. The workers began their strike on October 5 with various demands being made. At the time the management and workers failed to achieve a breakthrough as there was no consensus on the agenda, a top RTC official said in Hyderabad on Saturday. 

READ | Telangana CM showers development funds on Huzurnagar assembly segment

READ | Telangana: Congress demands judicial probe into TSRTC strike

'We were ready (for talks) but they did not discuss'

Sunil Sharma, RTC’s Managing Director stated that the Telangana High Court had directed that 21 demands of the employees should be discussed, but the unions wanted to hold discussions on all their grievances which includes the merger of RTC with the government, Sharma stated this was not acceptable. The RTC’s MD further added that they had requested the union leaders to discuss the 21 demands, but the unions did not agree with this and went left the venue to hold discussions with other union leaders.  Sharma further stated that the management waited till 6:30 in the evening for the leaders to return, but neither of them showed up. "We were ready (for talks) but they did not discuss," Sharma added. Aswathama Reddy, the leader of the employees union had previously stated to reporters that they sought discussion on all their demands and claimed that the officials had given a wrong interpretation of the court order, besides "restricting the agenda".

READ | Merger of RTC with govt impossible, says Telangana CM

READ | Telangana bypolls: TRS wins Huzurnagar assembly seat

(With agency inputs)