Legal notices from banks brew trouble for busmen

Hyderabad: With no salaries for the last two months, the financial woes of the striking TSRTC workers have worsened and with failed EMIs, they have been receiving legal notices from the banks.

The TSRTC workers' strike has reached 35 days on Friday. They have ignored the deadlines set by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for three times. However, the problems seem to be piling up for the workers as they are facing financial difficulties.

Already, a conductor Surender Goud committed suicide by hanging himself after he failed to pay the monthly instalment of the home loan taken by him.

The finance company reportedly sent notice to Goud for delay in payment and under depression, he took extreme step. One of the employees, a conductor Nageswar was mentally disturbed after the government said that the employees were self-dismissed.

Several RTC employees have been receiving the phone calls from the banks and private money lenders. One such employee M Hanumanthu also received a call from the bank for missing monthly instalment.

However, the employee refused to pay the loan amount stating that the chief minister has not given him salary and he would also go to court. "KCR has not given salary to me.

I will not pay the EMI… I will block all your numbers and you can go to court…I have come onto the road and don't have job now," said Hanumanthu to the tele-caller. The conversation between Hanumanthu and the tele-caller has gone viral on the social media.

According to the union leaders in some cases, the workers were also threatened by private money lenders with confiscation of their properties or vehicles for non-payment of dues.

M Bhaskara Chary, a conductor said that the burden has increased as there was no salary for the last two months. "I have EMIs of Rs 9,000 every month. Borrowed some money from friends but don't know what will happen in future," said Chary.

JAC1 leader K Hanumanthu said that the workers were suffering as they did not get salary of September month even after working. He stated that a case was filed in court for salaries.

The court said that it would have to give directions to pay the CCS dues immediately if the officials do not give correct figures, says Hanumanthu.