Telnagana State Road Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee continued to remain defiant in spite of the Chief Minister’s ultimatum to workers to report for duty by November 5 midnight and claimed that TSRTC restructuring was not possible without the consent of the Centre and Andhra Pradesh government.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, TSRTC JAC leaders E Ashwathama Reddy, K Raji Reddy and O Sudha, among others reiterated that since APSRTC has not been fully bifurcated, the question of taking unilateral decision, including privatising TSRTC without the involvement of the AP government and the Centre does not arise. They said the Centre has a 31% stake in the transport juggernaut.
“The RTC came into existence through the Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950 and the State government has no authority to privatise it. The permission of Central government is must. As per section 39, the government cannot close down the corporation without the Centre’s permission,” TSRTC-JAC Convener E Ashwathama Reddy said.
Describing the TSRTC in-charge Managing Director’s decision enabling those willing to resume work to report to several officials apart from TSRTC officers, as a conspiracy ahead of the High Court hearing, the JAC leaders maintained that no employee has returned to work. “He has done this to tell the court that so many people have joined. He is sensing that he is going to lose the case and that is why he said he would go to the Supreme Court. This shows that the CM is on the backfoot,” said TSRTC-JAC co-convener K Raji Reddy.
The TSRTC-JAC said that as per the Road Transport Corporation Act of 1950, a board comprising representatives from the State government and the Centre should have been constituted. While policy decisions should be taken by this board, the board as such does not exist, he said.
Condemning the alleged assault on the Bhainsa depot manager, the TSRTC-JAC alleged that a private driver and conductor were the perpetrators. “No official has condoled the death of 23 RTC workers, but we are condemning the attack on the DM,” the TSRTC-JAC said.