VIJAYAWADA: Nearly two months after the first round of talks over resumption of bus services between the two Telugu states, the APSRTC and TSRTC officials are scheduled to meet again on Monday in Hyderabad.
Principal secretary (transport), and APSRTC VC and MD MT Krishna Babu told TNIE TSRTC officials had come to Vijayawada on June 17 for the first round of conversations, where it was decided that 256 buses would initially resume plying to the neighbouring state. However, the second round was postponed as some TSRTC officials tested positive for Covid-19.
Despite the APSRTC being willing to restart the interstate operations, there has been no response from the Telangana officials so far, Krishna Babu added. “Earlier this month, Chief Secretary Nilam Shawhney wrote to her Telangana counterpart on the issue. But even that didn’t yield the desired result. So the corporation has decided to hold talks again and a team of officials from Vijayawada will meet their counterparts in Hyderabad to discuss the issue.”
“The TSRTC officials are asking us to reduce the number of bus services to Telangana as we operate more buses than them. If tomorrow’s discussion ends on a positive note, an announcement will be made shortly,” Krishna Babu said, adding the APSRTC officials will meet Telangana principal secretary (transport) Sunil Sharma if the meeting does not yield the desired result. Official sources said the APSRTC operates 800 services to Telangana, a majority of which are to Hyderabad.
On the other hand, TSRTC operates only 300 buses to AP. The sources added the APSRTC has no objection if their counterparts decide to run more services to AP, but the it won’t reduce the number of buses to Telangana. On the recent directions issued by Union home secretary, Krishna Babu said the state government has not been imposing any restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods during ‘Unlock-2’