RTC strike: Political parties vow to support stir

RTC strike: Political parties vow to support stir Hyderabad, Oct 30 (PTI): Various political parties shared the dais here on Wednesday with unions of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, whose workers have been on an indefinite strike since October 5 over various demands, and pledged support to the stir. TPCC Working President and MP Revanth Reddy, Telangana Telugu Desam Party President L Ramana, CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, BJP leaders and former MPs Jithender Reddy and Vivek and Telangana Jana Samithi chief Kodandaram, among others, spoke at the meeting.

Revanth Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar completely let down the people of the state. He said the VAT on diesel was increased after the TRS government came into power in 2014, imposing a Rs 700 crore additional burden on the ailing organisation.

Alleging that the Chief Minister was trying to break up the unity of the employees, Ramana demanded to know why RTC plunged into losses after Rao became chief Minister, compared to the time it showed profits when he was transport minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Describing the employees' demands as justifiable, the CPI leader said most of them were aimed at ensuring the survival of the organisation.

JAC leader Ashwathama Reddy said the unions would request CPI's state Assistant Secretary K Sambasiva Rao to end his indefinite fast, which entered the fifth day on Wednesday. The CPI leader went on fast at the party office here in support of the striking employees and was shifted to a state run hospital on October 28 The Telangana High Court on Tuesday granted conditional approval to the Joint Action Committee of the RTC unions to hold an indoor public meeting here for three hours from 3 PM on Wednesday to discuss matters related to the strike.

The Court had also imposed conditions to facilitate police to maintain law and order during the meeting. Meanwhile, agitating employees adopted novel forms of protest as the strike entered the 26th day on Wednesday like going on a cleanliness drive, standing in water bodies for some time and seeking alms at various places.

Employees and workers unions of TSRTC started the indefinite strike from October 5 across Telangana on a call given by the JAC of TSRTC, demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among others. The striking employees, workers of opposition parties and others have been organising protests in support of their demands and against the TRS government since then.

Ruling out discussions with the agitating unions, the TRS government had said the employees stir was illegal as they caused immense inconvenience to the public. The High Court is currently hearing a petition on the strike. PTI GDK APR APR APR.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)