Telangana to privatise 50% of state buses, says CM K Chandrasekhar Rao; sets 5 Nov deadline for protesting TSRTC staff to rejoin duty

Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday set 5 November as the deadline for TRSTC employees, who have been on strike from 5 October over various demands, to give up their stir and join duty. He said the state cabinet decided to allot 5,100 of 10,400 routes to private operators, which is about 50 percent the state's bus services and warned that the other routes would also be given to them if those on strike don't join duty by the midnight of 5 November.

Clarifying that only 'loss-making' routes would be given to private operators, Rao said the Centre would be informed about the state government's decision on allotting routes as was laid down in their new guidelines.

File image K Chandrasekhar Rao. Twitter@TelanganaCMO

"I appeal to the RTC employees to take this opportunity, keeping in view the welfare of their families. We want to give them (striking employees) one more chance," he said.

"If the employees do not join duty unconditionally in three days, that is November 5 midnight, the other routes will also be given to private operators," he said in a media briefing after the cabinet meeting.

He said there would be a transport commission to regulate the private operators so that the passengers were not fleeced.

The chief minister further said the cabinet had decided not to merge the RTC with the government, a key demand of the employees.

He blamed opposition parties and union leaders for allegedly instigating the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation employees.

Employees and unions of the bus corporation started the indefinite strike from 5 October across Telangana demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among others.

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Press Trust of India