T Harish Rao, a BRS leader, wrote an open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy asking for the declaration of an ‘appointed day’ to consider RTC employees as government staff. He also urged the government to purchase 2,000 buses due to the increased frequency caused by free service to women.
Rao mentioned that the BRS proposed merging Telangana RTC with the government for the safety of workers and employees and the financial situation of the organization. Although the Bill was passed in the Assembly, it was initially not approved by the Governor. However, after pressure from RTC staff and clarifications provided by the State government, the Governor eventually approved the Bill. The only step left is to incorporate the ‘Appointed Day’ in the legislation.
Due to the enforcement of the election code, the government could not organize the ‘Appointed Day’ to implement the merger decision. Rao reminded Reddy of the Congress manifesto promise to implement the Bill right after forming the government. He highlighted the increased workload on RTC staff, especially women conductors, due to the free bus travel scheme for women.
Rao emphasized the need for 2,000 more buses to accommodate the increased traffic of women and requested immediate action from Reddy. He also asked for salaries of RTC employees to be paid from the treasury starting from March and suggested cash payments for PRC bonds issued in 2013.
In conclusion, Rao urged the government to fulfill these demands to support RTC employees and improve public transportation services.
