Leaders of various political parties and the peoples’ organisations expressed solidarity to the striking RTC employees on the fourth day here on Saturday.
They took out a rally from Ekasila Park in Hanamkonda to the district Collector’s residence.
However, police prevailed over and stopped them from entering on to the office premises to prevent any untoward incident.
The all-party delegation comprised Telugu Desam, Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and YSR Congress. A group of leaders met Collector V. Karuna and submitted a memorandum.
Speaking to newsmen, the Congress district president N. Rajender Reddy, TDP city wing leader A. Murali, district secretaries of CPI and CPI (M), T. Srinivasa Rao and S. Vasudeva Reddy, CPI (ML) New Democracy leader N. Appa Rao and YSR Congress leader Kalyan demanded the State government to initiate measures to end the strike.
It was the TRS party that promised to ensure salaries to RTC employees on par with the government employees. It was time that promises should be delivered. CPI secretary T. Srinivasa Rao said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who said Maoist agenda was his agenda should now show it in practice.
Mr. Harish Rao who was honorary president of Telangana Mazdoor Union should now use his good offices to end the strike and help employees.
Meanwhile, the striking RTC workers have conducted ‘Vanta Vaarpu’ programme at Hanamkonda bus stand and Narsampet .
The agitating workers at Mahabubabad and Parkal tried to stop the movements of hired buses.
Tight security
Nizamabad Special Correspondent adds: The RTC management could not ply more than 20 per cent of its total bus services in the district with all its workers and employees keeping away from duty on the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
Only hired bus services were operated to different places.
Meanwhile, the agitating staff played Bathukamma in front of the bus stand amid tight police security. The AITUC cadres came in a procession to express their solidarity to the striking RTC workers at the depot.
The strike went off peacefully on Saturday with the staff deciding not to stop the buses coming out of the depot.
A few buses operated
Adilabad Special Correspondent adds: The RTC operated over 150 buses, eight from its own fleet, while the rest were the hired buses easing pressure on travelling public to some extent on the fourth day of the strike by the RTC union.
The buses were mainly operated on the main routes in the district. Meanwhile, RTC workers staged protests such ‘Vanta Varpu’ in Mancherial, Nirmal and Bhainsa depots. The all India general secretary of Kisan Morcha, M. Sugunakar Rao, met the protesters and expressed solidarity with them.
