No question of having any talks with agitating RTC employees: Telangana CM

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Saturday said that there is "no question" of having any talks with agitating 48,000 Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees.

"The government would not recognise the illegal and unlawful strike under any circumstances and there was no question of having any talks with those on strike," KCR said in a statement.

The RTC employees have been protesting in the state against the statement issued by the Telangana government in regards to sacking over 40,000 employees.

After taking cognisance of the strike, Rao, commonly known as KCR, instructed the officials concerned to make arrangements so that cent per cent RTC buses would ply on the roads.

The Chief Minister clarified that the employees went on strike on their own and those abstained from duties will not be taken back. "Workers have blindly believed the irrelevant talk of the union leaders and abstained from duties and lost their jobs voluntarily. This is it. Nobody dismissed anyone," he said.

KCR directed the officials to pay September salaries to those who were not participating in the strike and attending to their duties.

Hitting out at the political parties for extending support to the "illegal and unethical" strike, the Chief Minister said: "The political parties are eager to take political benefit of the situation, which is hope against hope. The political parties, which are supporting the strike, will have to face the public outrage."

"BJP leaders are talking a lot here. The BJP, which is in power at the Centre, is privatizing the Indian Railways. Airlines are privatized. Even Secunderabad Railway Station is privatized. This is how the BJP leadership is taking decisions at the Centre and their leaders are talking exactly opposite," the Chief Minister said.

He instructed the officials concerned to appoint required employees to run 50 per cent of the RTC buses, take 30 per cent of buses on hire and give stage carriage route permits to 20 per cent private buses.

Since it would take some days to restore 100 per cent bus services and it may cause inconvenience to the students, the Chief Minister announced the extension of Dusshera holidays till October 19.He added that all categories of buses will be operational by October 21.