The Communist Party of India (CPI) today demanded that the Chief Minister of the state K Chandrashekar Rao withdraw his "proposals" to privatize the state-owned TSRTC.
It warned of a state-wide agitation if the CM went ahead with his "decision" to privatize the corporation.
CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy condemned the statement of the newly-appointed TSRTC Chairman Bajireddy Govardhan that the state government would privatise the corporation if its workers did not bring it back to profitability within four months.
He said that it was shocking that the CM, who had promised to merge the corporation with the state government, was now planning to privatise it.
It was very clear that the CM was following in the footsteps of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of the privatisation, Reddy claimed.
He pointed out that the AP government had steered the APSRTC into profitability after its merger with the government, and said that it was cruel that the Telangana government was planning to privatize the TSRTC instead of merging it with itself to take it to profitability.
He said that there were many ways to bring the corporation onto the path of profits, and that the reduction of taxes on diesel prices would provide some relief to the corporation.