TGSRTC aid of Rs 90.85 lakh handed over to late driver Kola Shankar’s family

Hyderabad: Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) Managing Director Y. Nagi Reddy handed over TGSRTC aid of Rs.90.85 lakh to the family of late Narsampet depot driver Kola Shankar on Monday. Employees voluntarily raised the amount through the Cheyutha programme. The cheque was presented to Shankar’s wife Hemalatha, son Hemanth and daughter Shalini at RTC Kalabhavan in Hyderabad.

Ponnam Prabhakar said TGSRTC was more than a public transport corporation and functioned as a united family of thousands of employees. He said the employees’ contribution reflected their compassion and solidarity in supporting a colleague’s family during a difficult period.

Recalling Shankar’s treatment, the minister said he had visited the hospital late at night to enquire about his condition. Hemanth would receive employment in TGSRTC, he announced. The government had also sanctioned a house for the family, the minister added.

Since assuming office, the government had been addressing employee issues, Ponnam Prabhakar said. He criticised previous governments for abolishing RTC labour unions and adopting an authoritarian approach towards workers. According to the minister, the government had released Rs.300 crore every month to TGSRTC after launching the Mahalakshmi free bus travel scheme for women. Despite the additional workload, employees had maintained uninterrupted services. He praised staff who continued to work during festivals, including Raksha Bandhan.

Ponnam Prabhakar said employee welfare and family security remained key government priorities. He said all TGSRTC employees, including outsourcing staff with annual family incomes below Rs.6 lakh, could apply for Indiramma houses. The government was also resolving issues affecting retired employees, he added.

TGSRTC aid backed by employee welfare initiatives

The minister said the corporation would focus on institutional growth, passenger convenience and employee welfare. He said the RTC merger process would begin after labour union elections in line with the recommendations of a committee comprising four ministers and officials.

Plans were also announced to build a modern bus terminal in the Cure Area. The corporation would introduce new routes linking villages with the capital. Metro and MMTS services would be integrated with TGSRTC to strengthen the public transport network.

TGSRTC Managing Director Y. Nagi Reddy said the Rs.90.85 lakh contribution demonstrated the strong bond among employees. He thanked everyone who participated in the Cheyutha initiative. The management remained committed to employee welfare, workplace safety, training and better working conditions, he said.

Nagi Reddy said passenger safety remained the corporation’s highest priority. He praised drivers and conductors for their dedicated service. TGSRTC was expanding digital services, online ticketing and fleet modernisation while strengthening its finances and employee welfare, he said. He expressed confidence that discipline, teamwork and public service would help TGSRTC emerge as a model public transport organisation.

Hemalatha thanked TGSRTC employees for supporting her family during a difficult period. She appealed to the government to fulfil her late husband’s wish of merging TGSRTC with the government.

Executive Directors C.H. Venkanna, Rajashekhar, Solomon and Echuri Sridhar, Financial Adviser Vijayapushpa, CPM Ushadevi, CTM Sridevi, CCOS Prabhulatha, CME Janireddy, union leaders, senior officials and a large number of employees attended the programme.