Blow to government as HC stays privatisation of 5100 bus routes

In a major setback to the government, the Telangana High Court on Friday stayed cabinet decision to allow 5100 private buses in TSRTC.

The Court was hearing a plea on the cabinet decision to privatise 5100 routes in the state filed by Telangana Jana Samiti vice-president PL Viswewara Rao and asked the additional AG to file counter over it. The case was adjourned to Monday.

Meanwhile, the RTC unions have welcomed the court's decision and said that this was the first victory of workers. The unions demanded the government to at least solve the issue now.

The state cabinet had taken a decision to privatise 5,000 routes and also had threatened the workers that it would privatise all the routes if workers do not attend duties by November 5. The government said that there aim to provide comfortable transport facility to the public and did not matter if it was a public and private transport.

Referring to the amendment made by the NDA government to the Motor vehicles act, the chief minister said that the state were given power to take decision on the public transport. As per the new act that came to force on September 1, the states have the power to privatise the public transport, KCR said.