Ponnam Urges RTC Employees To End Strike

Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar today appealed to RTC employees and their families to call off the strike in the interest of protecting the organisation and ensuring public welfare.

He said that a strike was not a solution and that the government had already constituted a four-member committee of senior officials to address the issues. The committee had been instructed to submit its report within four weeks, and thus this was not a delay tactic, he said.

"Out of the 32 issues raised by RTC employees, the government has no objection to 29, and they can be resolved immediately. The remaining two issues - the RTC merger and the recognition of unions - involve technical aspects and require detailed examination. These will be discussed with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister," he said.

Highlighting key steps taken by the government, the minister said that salaries were being paid on the 1st of every month despite delays in the RTC merger.

He claimed that the long-pending 2017 PRC had also been cleared along with pending DA dues, and that the 2013 bonds had been settled.

"PF dues have been reduced from Rs 1,205 crore to Rs 600 crore, while CCS dues have been brought down from Rs 690 crore to Rs 300 crore. Monthly payments of Rs 75 crore are being made towards PF and CCS," he added.

He also said that the recruitment of 4,538 employees would also be completed soon to reduce the workload.

The minister emphasised that RTC was gradually recovering and that disruptions at this stage would harm both the institution and the public.

"RTC serves as a lifeline for the rural and economically weaker sections, with around 65 lakh daily passengers, including 45 lakh women. Many depend on the RTC for education, employment and healthcare. I urge the employees to adopt democratic means of protest through their leadership without disrupting public transport, as the poor people depending on the corporation cannot afford alternative travel options," he said.

He assured the RTC staff that the government was committed to resolving all issues and stood firmly with them, and urged them to resume duties and avoid inconvenience to the public.