RTC JAC to stage day-long hunger strike on Nov 17

Hyderabad: The TSRTC JAC has called the striking workers to sit on day long hunger strike on November 17 at all bus depots in the State.

RTC JAC Convenor Ashwathama Reddy held a meeting here on Thursday which was attended by various opposition party leaders to finalise an action plan to continue the RTC strike which entered 40th day on Thursday.

Reddy said that the JAC will not demand for RTC merger with government for a while but insist to find solution for all 25 other demands.

All the unions in the JAC welcomed the proposal to go for talks with government if it invites. As part of intensifying the strike, the JAC leader said that he along with four other leaders will hold a day long hunger strike on November 16.

He said all the RTC workers will sit on hunger strike on November 17. As announced earlier, the workers will take part in the Sadak Bandh and stall the Hyderabad – Vijayawada highway on November 19.

He said that he already sought an appointment to meet Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan with the bereaved families of RTC workers who committed suicides and died of depression recently.

The JAC leader said the committee would also meet National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and explain the travails faced by RTC workers in Telangana. He held government responsible for the death of 23 RTC workers in the last 40 days.

The government's decision to privatise the corporation will deprive the backward communities of their livelihoods, he said and demanded that the government strengthen the corporation by infusing required investments.