Telangana governor gives nod, Assembly adopts TSRTC Bill

Puvvada says estimated burden on the exchequer would be around `3,000 crore per year

Image used for representational purpose.

HYDERABAD: After three days of high drama, the State Legislative Assembly on Sunday adopted the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan cleared the Bill in the afternoon with certain recommendations to the government to safeguard the corporation and its employees.

Later in the evening, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar introduced the Bill in the Assembly.

Explaining the aims and objects of the Bill, the Transport Minister said that all the 43,055 regular employees of the corporation will be absorbed into State government service. The services of the remaining 240 contract/casual employees and outsourcing employees will be continued, he said.

All the assets will be with the corporation. The corporation will not be merged with the government, he added. The Minister said that the service rules of the employees would be finalised shortly, till then they would be governed by the corporation rules. The employees once absorbed into government service would
get higher salaries, the Minister said,  adding that the estimated burden on the exchequer would be around Rs 3,000 crore per year.

TSRTC chairman Bajireddy Govardhan said that the corporation was incurring a loss of Rs 125 crore per month. Earlier, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said: “Jnaanodayamai, Governor gaaru Bill santakam petti pamparu (the Governor got enlightenment and sent the Bill after signing)”.“The Governor involved in a controversy on the draft Bill as she did no know the subject. She sought 96 clarifications,”  he said, adding “We thank the Governor for sending the Bill.”

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Raj Bhavan said: “The Governor has granted her approval for the introduction of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023 in the Telangana State Legislative Assembly with nine recommendations to the State Government.”

Governor’s recommendations

• The ownership of the lands, assets and properties of the TSRTC should vest with the corporation itself for its sole and exclusive use, even after the absorption of its employees as government employees. The government should give an explicit undertaking to that effect.
• The assets be finally divided, and the process is completed between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the AP Reorganisation Act.
• Clarify and assume the liability of clearing the arrears from the erstwhile APSRTC.
• The emoluments of the RTC employees once absorbed as government employees be on the same scale as other State government employees following pay scales, service rules and regulations vis-à-vis salary, transfers, promotions, retirement pensions, or provident funds, and other gratuities.