HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court on Monday issued notices to the State government and the road transport corporation (TSRTC) for filing counter affidavits in a PIL filed challenging the decision of authorities in entrusting RTC buses to unqualified, inexperienced drivers who are becoming responsible for road accidents during the strike by corporation employees.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy is dealing with a PIL seeking direction to the authorities concerned to compel all the private drivers to undergo thorough training for 90 days in running RTC buses under the guidance of retired drivers of the corporation.
According to the petitioner, the State government has hired private drivers, who did not have requisite skills and experience and as a result, the number of road accidents have increased. After going through the contents of the PIL, the bench issued notices to Chief Secretary, transport secretary and in-charge MD of TSRTC to respond in the form of counter-affidavits, and adjourned the case hearing by four weeks.
Elsewhere, Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili adjourned the hearing to Wednesday in the two petitions filed by Telangana Jathiya Mazdoor Union and TSRTC Bahujana Karmika Union seeking direction to the TSRTC to pay salaries to the employees for September.
The TSRTC standing counsel urged for adjourning the case hearing since the additional advocate general J Ramachandra Rao was not available. Opposing the plea, advocate Chikkudu Prabhakar, appearing for Telangana Jathiya Mazdoor Union, urged the court to hear the petitions urgently as the employees are without salary for the last three months. The judge posted the matter to November 27 for further hearing.