The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) strike, which entered the 12th day on Wednesday, saw striking employees forming human chains, sloganeering, symbolically seeking funds after not having been paid their salary and shaving their heads as a mark of protest.
Striking staff at the Musheerabad bus depot, supported by the Left parties, staged a dharna. Reiterating their demand, the staff said the State government should merge the TSRTC with the government and that their aim was to save the transport corporation.
The protesters shaved their heads and then held signs that read ‘Is it only a shaved head which remains for RTC workers?’
The protesters then proceeded to symbolically seek alms to underscore the fact that several TSRTC employees had not been paid their salary. They also said denial of salary did not permit them to celebrate Dasara.
Meanwhile, protests at the Jubilee Bus Station began with employees forming a human chain. They were later joined by Telangana Jana Samithi convener M. Kodandaram. The scenes at Rangunj bus depots 1 and 2 were largely the same with striking employees arriving with their children to highlight their plight.
The protesters attempted to burn effigies at Dilsukhnagar depot and they were detained by the police stationed there. Those who were arrested were said to be TJS supporters.
Another three persons, who are TSRTC staff identified as P. Vasudev, a driver of the Dilsukhnagr deport, L. Ravinder Reddy, a conductor of the same depot, and S.K. Jani Pasha, also a driver, were detained. They were later released.
In a statement, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar said the efforts of the TSRTC management were showing good results in terms of bringing about normalcy in bus services. He claimed that bus services had been increased and that public transport was being monitored closely. Further, services would be increased. As compared to Tuesday, the bus services were up by 2%. The TSRTC pressed into service 4,424 temporary drivers and 6,325 conductors. Tickets were issued in 1,956 services, while ticket issuing machines were issued in 229 services.
