RSRTC buses to go off road as employees call for 48-hr strike

Protesting against government's decision of introducing private buses on nationalised routes, employees of Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation will go on a 48-hour strike from today mid-night due to which around 5,000 state and inter-state buses will go off road.
About 22,000 employees of RSRTC will go on the strike from mid-night today, M L Yadav, state president of the All India Trade Union Congress in RSRTC, told PTI here.
Employees affiliated to four major Unions--CITU, AITUC, INTUC and AITUC-- will observe the strike and not provide their services, Yadav said.
The four trade unions have informed the RSRTC management to issue tickets to passengers for travel only till mid-night today, he said.

"BJP government in the state, which proposed operation of private bus along with RSRTC in its Budget, is playing in the hands of private bus mafia and in the name of modernisation, it wants to affect services of the employees," Yadav alleged.
In its Budget, the state government made announcement for the issue licences to private bus operators on nationalised routes, which was banned till today, he said.

The de-nationalisation of routes will not be tolerated at any cost, he said.
The government has also proposed to take over the RSRTC's bus stand, this too will not be allowed, he added.

"Our strike is against the state government's anti-state roadways bus policies and not to disturb public travel," he said.
In its ongoing Budget session, the BJP government has announced formation of Rajasthan State Bus Port Corporation to facilitate private bus operation on the nationalised routes and to provide funds to RSRTC.