No merger of TSRTC with Telangana govt on any condition, Nov 5 deadline for employees to join back: KCR

Setting November 5 a deadline for protesting TSRTC employees to join back their duties, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday said that there will be "no merger" of the transport corporation with the state government "on any condition".

"On any condition, there is no merger of RTC with government, this is decided by the state cabinet. 5100 private buses permission are granted in the state. This strike is declared illegal by labour commissioner. If any strike (is) declared illegal then employees and department relation do not exist. This agitation has started especially during the students' exams and festive season," Rao told media here.

Rao added, "Central Government has brought the Motor Vehicle Act which permits privatisation, it is the law of land. That is the reason we have taken this decision."

The Chief Minister said that 67 per cent hike was done by the state government.

"After the privatisation, all the passes will be valid and accepted. I am not bulldozing, according to the Centre's decision, we are acting. We will always work by keeping the public necessity in mind. 5,100 private buses are given route permit in the state. The RTC is demanding for never-ending wishes. The Cabinet decided not to merge RTC with the government. Government has courtesy towards the small jobs. And that is the reason we are hiking their salaries. There is no change in the cabinet decision of privatisation," Rao said.

Before November 5, TSRTC employees who turn back to duties will be accepted, the Chief Minister said.

"If not, we will give permission to another 5,000 buses. The opposition parties are the killers. They are provoking the RTC employees and they are responsible for their deaths. RTC Unions and opposition parties are the 100 per cent culprits. Nobody can dictate the government. Wherever the BJP government is present privatization has been done by them. It is BJP who removed RTC in Madhya Pradesh... If we obey the RTC demands then the other corporations will also demand for the same," Rao said.

Employees of the TSRTC have been on strike for the past few weeks now. Earlier this week, they intensified their indefinite protest against the sacking of over 40,000 employees by the state government.

During the ongoing protest, few TSRTC employees have lost their lives either by committing suicide or depressed by the demonstration.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TSRTC has been on a strike since October 5 demanding merger of the corporation with the state government and revision of pays among other demands.