HYDERABAD: Terming Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision of terminating the services of over 48,000 RTC workers illegal, opposition parties on Monday assured the striking corporation workers that they would support them until the government revoked the said decision and accepted all their demands. All major opposition parties, including the CPI, which has extended support to the ruling TRS party in the upcoming Huzurnagar Assembly bypoll, criticised the chief minister for taking a unilateral decision. They wanted the chief minister to call on RTC JAC leaders for talks and resolve the issue amicably. The opposition leaders warned the government of serious consequences if it did not retract its decision.
TPCC chief and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy, while terming the decision of the chief minister subversive, vicious and unlawful, demanded that the government immediately withdraw the decision and invite RTC JAC leaders for talks. He promised that the Congress would support the RTC employees and that the decision would come back to haunt the chief minister.
Finding fault with the government for terminating the services of RTC workers, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy urged the chief minister to reconsider his decision and take back all the sacked employees. He also wanted the government to invite union leaders for talks and accept all the genuine demands. “The government cannot sack employees just like that. In a democracy, issues have to be resolved through talks. My humble request to the CM is to reconsider his decision and talk to the union leaders,” he opined.
Blaming the State government for the condition of the RTC, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that the corporation was running at a loss due to the faulty policies of the State government. “RTC has a debt of `5,000 crore and of it `2,088 crore has to come from the State government. You are not paying your dues and blaming the RTC for its losses. How far this is justified?” he asked.
BJP State unit chief K Laxman severely criticised the chief minister for sacking the employees and said that the latter would “burn his own finger on the issue”. “KCR, during the Telangana Statehood movement had said that RTC employees are like fire. Anyone who tries to touch them would suffer burns. Ironically, he is now trying to touch them. He will face the consequences,” he said.
Malkajgiri Congress MP A Revanth Reddy alleged that the government had forced the RTC union to go on strike to privatise the corporation. According to him, the script of privatisation of RTC was laid out four years ago and was made financially weak so that it could easily be privatised. He said that if the government reduced VAT on diesel, the corporation could pay all its debts and even earn profits.
CPM State secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram said that the sacking of RTC employees was illegal and undemocratic. “RTC employees are not KCR’s servants. He can’t fire them whenever he likes. CPM will not keep silent if the government does not withdraw its order of terminating the services of employees,” he warned.