Impasse over RTC ends; workers can resume duty from tomorrow: Telangana CM

Ending an impasse over Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) workers' strike that lasted for nearly two months, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday said that the employees can happily resume their duties starting tomorrow.

"The employees can happily join the services from tomorrow," the Chief Minister said after a cabinet meeting, which was held here.

Since October, around 48,000 employees were on strike urging to merge TSRTC with the government along with other demands like a revision of pay.

Announcing compassionate jobs to the kin of RTC employees who died during the strike, Rao said, "The government will sanction Rs 100 crores to the RTC for immediate working capital. We will also increase ticket fare by 20 paise so that it will help the RTC in generating more revenue."

"I am going to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Soon after, I am going to meet RTC employees and I will speak to them personally. We will not let any union speak to us. We will set up a 'Workers Welfare Council' with a senior minister in charge," he added.

While criticised various unions, parties, especially Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, for inciting the employees, the Chief Minister said, "Oppositions have used RTC employees for their politics."

Moreover, he said that the Telangana government has decided to release Rs 571 crores to repair the roads which got damaged in the rains.