Hyderabad: Conversations among employees of Telangana The State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government successfully concluded on Friday after the government agreed to the main demands of the workers.
After a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it accepted the demands, including merger of the RTC with the government, 11 percent wage revision and elections for workers’ unions.
A committee consisting of officials and leading employees will be appointed for merging the RTC with the government, he said.
RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and RTC buses would be on the roads soon, he said.
The workers had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 for a series of demands, including the merger of the RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, an RTC driver, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself on fire by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered severe burns, was first admitted to a government hospital in Warangal and later shifted to a super-specialty hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
“He succumbed (to his injuries) around 1:30 am on Friday,” a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for the funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees tried to take the body to the Narsampet bus stand, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, the police did not allow this, citing law and order concerns.
This led to a standoff before the funeral could proceed.
Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticized the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be sent to Narsampet bus stand.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid tributes to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot in five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to take the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a statement from his office.
RTC workers and BJP workers tried to take the mortal remains to an ambulance in Narsampet but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and the QRT employees agreed to hold the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, declaring that he will abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said a gratuity of Rs 10 lakh, a house and a government job will be provided to Goud’s relatives.
Prime Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock at the employee’s death and extended condolences to the bereaved family, according to the release.
The JAC of RTC employees had earlier announced an agitation program from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
