BJP condemns government's handling of RTC strike issue

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State unit president K Laxman demanded that the State government hold talks with the TSRTC workers, who are on the strike path, to end the stalemate to prevent inconvenience to people on the eve of Dasara festival.

Addressing media here on Friday, he criticised the State government for washing away its hands appointing a three-member IAS officers committee to hold talks with the RTC unions.

He said the senior IAS officer Somesh Kumar claims to hold talks any number of times with the workers' unions.

There is no time limit given to the committee to submit its report and the real demands of the workers are not being addressed to diffuse the stalemate in the talks, he added.

Instead, the State government is threatening the worker to declare the strike illegal, invoking ESMA and to file cases under the PD Act, besides, plying buses engaging the private drivers and conductors.

Alleging that it was the State government which had pushed the RTC into a debt trap, Laxman said, "even the pension and provident fund funds of the workers are being used by the State government."

Not only the State government failed to clear its dues to the RTC but it has also collected huge sums in the name of VAT on the public transporter.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao always make a comparison with the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The AP government has merged the RTC with the government and saved it. But the TS government is not coming forth to save the TSRTC, he pointed out.

"Had the government of the day invoked ESMA, PD Act. Could we get Telangana without the contribution of the RTC workers strike," he asked.

Condemning the State governments' handling of the RTC strike he said that the party will extend its support to the demands of the RTC workers.

He demanded that the government immediately hold talks to prevent strike to ensure no hardships are caused to the people during Dasara.