Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president K. Kavitha on Thursday demanded a dedicated RTC merger budget allocation in the upcoming State Budget, accusing the Congress government of betraying transport workers and delaying implementation of its promises.
Addressing a press conference at the Jagruthi office in Banjara Hills, she said the RTC merger bill had already been passed and questioned why the government had not acted on it. She insisted that the budget session must clearly provide funds for implementing the merger of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation into the government.
Kavitha criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, stating that he had promised the RTC merger before the elections but failed to honour that assurance after assuming office. She alleged that RTC employees were being forced to work 16 to 18 hours a day, calling it organised oppression.
She also questioned the decision to introduce free bus services without increasing the fleet strength. According to her, the burden of the scheme was falling on RTC workers. She demanded that free bus facilities be extended to persons with disabilities and sought a white paper on funds released under the Mahalakshmi scheme. She asked how much of the promised ₹300 crore, or the revised ₹600 crore requirement, had actually been released.
Kavitha presses for RTC merger budget allocation, warns of protest
Reiterating the need for RTC merger budget allocation, Kavitha alleged that nearly 1,000 workers had been removed for trivial reasons. She said conductors were dismissed over faulty ticket machines, while drivers were subjected to extreme pressure that led to heart attacks and deaths. She demanded immediate reinstatement of all dismissed employees.
Further, she accused the government of attempting to privatise RTC and hand it over to Megha Engineering. She claimed outsourcing staff, especially in electric bus operations, was a strategy to weaken the corporation and dilute accountability. She asserted that only regular RTC employees should be appointed.
Kavitha also criticised the practice of holding Cabinet meetings outside the State, calling it an affront to Telangana’s self-respect. She said Cabinet meetings must be conducted at the Secretariat.
She announced that Telangana Jagruthi would extend full support to the RTC workers’ “Chalo Secretariat” programme on the 24th. She warned that the organisation would intensify its agitation if the government failed to address the workers’ demands.