APSRTC chairman appeals to staff not to join strike

Vijayawada: In a fervent appeal to the employees of the state-owned AP Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), its chairman A Mallikarjuna Reddy told them not to join the strike from February 7 following the call given by the PRC Sadhana Samiti.

Addressing the media at the RTC Bhavan here on Thursday, the RTC chairman said that Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the RTC staff during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra that the services of the RTC workers would be merged with the government and when he assumed charge in the state, the RTC workers were brought into the state government employment.

The RTC, which had suffered heavily after the bifurcation, was burdened with Rs 6,000 crore debts and still now it is yet to repay Rs 4,500 crore. The RTC employees are happy with the merger with the government and now they are regularly getting government salaries.

The chairman recalled that Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had given a boost to the RTC by purchasing 1,000 buses and extending Rs 500 crore to overcome financial problems. Now his son Jagan Mohan Reddy had helped the RTC workers to become the government employees, he added.

Against this backdrop, it is not proper on the part of the RTC employees to join the agitation launched by the PRC Sadhana Samiti, he opined. "The RTC, which has been facing a number of problems, would experience more problems if the RTC workers go on strike," he said.

The chairman said that it is the responsibility of the RTC employees to support the government.

RTC Vijayawada zonal chairman T Padmavati said that some unions had already announced that they would not join the strike. She appealed to all the employees of the RTC not to join the strike.

Executive director Koteswara Rao also participated.