KCR Promises 100% Bus Services Back In 3-4 Days

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today instructed the officials concerned to make arrangements to ensure that 100% of the TSRTC bus services were restored in 3-4 days.

"Officials should work day and night and restore 100% bus services at any cost," the CM instructed a top-level meeting at Pragathi Bhavan.

To this end, he told the officials to appoint the required number of employees to run 50% of the TSRTC buses, take on hire external buses to restore a further 30% of the services, and give stage carriage route permits to private buses to restore the remaining 20% of the services.

Since it would still take 3-4 days to restore bus services fully and partial services could cause inconvenience to students, the CM announced the extension of the Dasara holidays till October 19. To complete the syllabus, educational institutions could have second Saturdays and other such holidays as working days, he said.

The CM also reiterated that the government would not recognize the "illegal and unlawful" strike by the RTC staff or take the striking employees back to work under any circumstances, and that there was no question of any talks with those on strike.

"The workers blindly believed the assurances of the union leaders and abstained from their duties and lost their jobs voluntarily. That is it. Nobody dismissed anyone. Supervisors were also dragged into the strike, which had never happened in the past. The union leaders acted with utter irresponsibility and became the reason for 48,000 employees losing their jobs. There is no chance of taking back the employees who abstained from their duties, or of having any talks with the leaders. There is no question of pardoning the workers who inflicted loses on the RTC and put passengers to hardships during the festival time. This is not a strike but an unlawful action, which put crores of people to inconvenience. The government is acting firm on this issue," KCR asserted.

KCR was quite vocal in his criticism of the BJP, the Congress and other political parties that have been supporting the RTC staff. "It is immoral that certain political parties are extending support to this illegal and unethical strike. These parties have no support from the people, and will have to face the public ire. The kind of demands put forth by the TSRTC workers have not been conceded even in the States where these parties are in power, and the people know this," the CM added.

KCR also promised strict action against any "goondaism" by the RTC employees. "People claiming to be union leaders are saying they will intensify the stir. The government will not be shaken or intimidated by such threats, or tolerate any attempts made to stop the buses or organize dharnas at bus depots. We will not stand any goondaism. So far we have been tolerant, but now onwards we will initiate strict measures if anyone tries to stop the buses or is involved in violence," the CM warned.

The CM told DGP Mahender Reddy to increase security and set up CC cameras at all the RTC depots and bus stands. He also told the DGP to utilize the services of the intelligence department and the women police. "Book cases against, arrest and send to court anyone indulging in unlawful activity involving the buses," the CM instructed Reddy.

The TSRTC strike entered its eighth day on Saturday.