HYDERABAD: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has sought more time to clear the TSRTC Bill, which was intended to absorb 43,373 RTC employees into State government service. The State Cabinet, during its July 31 meeting, had taken the decision to absorb RTC employees into government service.
The government prepared a draft Bill regarding this to introduce in the ongoing monsoon session of the State Legislature. The session will conclude on Sunday. Though there was no official reaction from the government, a message regarding the Governor keeping the draft Bill on hold, went viral on social media on Friday.
Later in the day, a release from Raj Bhavan said: “The Assembly was scheduled to meet on August 3 and the Draft Bill, The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill, 2023, was received at Raj Bhavan on August 2 at about 3.30 PM only requesting for permission to introduce the same in Assembly. It requires some more time to examine it and obtain legal opinion for taking a decision on the request”.
The government sent the draft Bill to the Governor as it was a money Bill involving financial implications.
“The Raj Bhavan kept the draft Bill for the last two days without giving any view on it,” sources in the State government said. After this, the Raj Bhavan issued its statement.
This means that the draft Bill reaching the government before Sunday and being tabled in the Assembly appears unlikely. Meanwhile, TSRTC workers’ unions declared that they would protest against the Governor.
Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU) general secretary Thomas Reddy it was an issue affecting 43,000 employees and the Governor should approve the Bill immediately. He said that the RTC workers would protest with black badges on Saturday. If there is no response, then the employees plan to hold a “Chalo Raj Bhavan” rally demanding the Governor to approve the Bill.
A release from the Raj Bhavan late on Friday said that the Governor sought some clarifications on the draft Bill from the government in the interests of employees. The release said,” The Governor has duly examined the provisions in the TSRTC Bill of 2023 and has expressed the necessity for the government to reply on specific clarifications and ambiguities”.