Suspense over TSRTC merger

Hyderabad: Time is ticking off for the brief monsoon session to end but there is still no indication of the possibility of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023 to merge the public road transport service provider with the government getting passed during the session. The session is scheduled to adjourn sine die on Sunday.

Official sources said that in case Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan feels satisfied with the all the clarifications given by the government and gives her nod to the draft bill, the government may decide to extend the session by another day and ensure that the bill was passed so that the process of merge can be completed well ahead of the poll notification.

The sources said the Governor after seeking legal opinion had raised certain doubts and had sought clarifications from the government. The government after a daylong exercise sent its replies to the governor. It was felt that after receiving the clarifications, the Governor would give her nod and the government would be able to introduce the bill in the Assembly on Sunday.

But the Governor, according to sources, was still not convinced with the clarifications. She is said to have asked the government for more details like depot-wise liabilities, assets and staff.

She also wanted to know whether the contract workers hired by the Corporation would also be absorbed as government employees. If not, what would be their fate and future. She also wanted to know about the assets of the corporation over which the Andhra Pradesh government had staked its claim over certain assets of the RTC quoting the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act 2014.

The Governor, who would be back in Hyderabad from Puducherry on Saturday night, will review the draft bill after she gets replies from the government to the new queries she had raised. Meanwhile, the government is making all-out efforts to prepare another detailed note to clarify the doubts raised by the Governor. The replies are likely to reach Raj Bhavan by Sunday morning.

What clarity Governor sought

What is keeping the draft bill to merge TSRTC with the government being cleared from getting the approval of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan? Sources said the Governor had initially raised five points. They include the equity contributions of the State and Central Government to the APSRTC in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh which was to the tune of Rs140.20 crore and Rs 61.07 crore respectively. She reportedly said the statement on objects and reasons in the proposed Bill was vague and wanted the government to give more details. However, the officials claim that the TSRTC would continue to function in its existing legal entity and form in all other respects after absorption of its employees into the govt. The Corporation Board, they said, would continue as the Apex Body of the TSRTC under the provisions of the RTC Act 1950, to manage the issues pertaining to equity, loan, grant or other assistance of the Government of India and other related matters.

Hence, they added that it was not necessary to mention any of these details in the Statement of Objects and Reasons. Officials said that the government is ready to clarify every point raised by the Governor on the merger of RTC. A team of top officials were entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a detailed note for the use of Governor.