Pawan Kalyan asks T'gana CM to hold talks with RTC unions

Pitching for a negotiated settlement to the ongoing strike by TSRTC employees, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan on Thursday said he would try to meet Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and request him to address their demands.

Kalyan said he would seek an appointment with the Chief Minister failing which he would extend his support to the future agitational programmes of the employees.

His statement comes after the Join Action Committee of the unions met the actor-turned politician, seeking his support.

"Before leaving for Visakhapatnam on November 3, I will seek an appointment with the CM on the 24 demands of RTC employees.

I request him to hold talks with the unions in a cordial atmosphere and find an amicable solution." Kalyan said.

Terming the role of RTC employees during the Telangana statehood agitation as "unignorable," the Jana Sena leader said the dispensation should keep in mind the hardships being faced by the families of the protesters.

The strike by the employees entered the 27th day on Thursday.

Employee unions of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) started the indefinite strike from October 5 on a call given by the JAC, demanding merger of the corporation with the government among others.

The striking employees, workers of opposition parties and others have been organising protests in support of their demands and against the TRS government since then.

Ruling out discussions with the agitating unions, the TRS government had said the employees stir was illegal as they caused immense inconvenience to the public.

The High Court is currently hearing a petition on the strike.

Meanwhile, the CPI's state Assistant Secretary K Sambasiva Rao who was on indefinite fast for the past six days ended his stir after JAC and other leaders offered him lime juice.

The CPI leader undertook the fast supporting the strike, at his party office here and later police shifted him to a state-run hospital where he resumed it.