Employees of TSRTC continued their protests in front of the bus depots across the State on the 31st day of their strike on Monday with a resolve to continue their agitation.
According to information reaching here, one more employee of RTC, T. Jaipal Reddy, a driver working for Devarakonda depot in Nalgonda district, died of cardiac arrest on Monday. A native of Pagidipally village he suffered heart attack in the early hours of Monday at home after participating in the protest there on Sunday. He died on way to Hyderabad, when he was being shifted for better treatment after being given emergency treatment at Devarakonda. He was about to retire in a few months.
The striking employees obstructed the temporary staff entering the depots to run bus services at several places. However, their attempts were blocked by the police and in the process jostling between the striking employees and the police were reported from some places.
At some place, the strike employees requested their colleagues willing to rejoin duties not to do so as it would harm the interests of the entire employees. At some other places, the striking employees swore not to rejoin duties until their problems were resolved, irrespective of the deadline set by the government.
At Sattupalli in Khammam, Md. Mubeen, a driver who rejoined duties on Sunday, participated in the strike on Monday stating that his conscience did not allow him to continue in duty when his colleagues were on strike and that it would be betrayal of the colleagues who died or committed suicide during the strike period.
According to the RTC officials, the employees of the Corporation willing to rejoin duties can report in any of the offices of the Road Transport Corporation — RTC depot manager, RTC regional manager or the RTC headquarters in Hyderabad — or in the offices of the district collector, superintendent of police or revenue divisional officer.
