Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi president K. Kavitha demanded RTC merger budget allocation in the upcoming State Budget and accused the Congress government of delaying its promise to transport workers.
Speaking at a press conference in Banjara Hills on Thursday, she said the RTC merger bill had already cleared the Assembly. However, she questioned why the government had still not implemented the decision. She insisted that the budget session must earmark funds to merge the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation with the government.
Criticising Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Kavitha said he had assured workers of the merger before the elections. Yet, she alleged that he failed to fulfil that commitment after taking office. According to her, RTC employees are working 16 to 18 hours a day under severe pressure.
She also questioned the rollout of free bus services without increasing fleet strength. In her view, the scheme placed additional strain on staff. Moreover, she sought extension of free bus travel to persons with disabilities. She demanded a white paper on funds released under the Mahalakshmi scheme and asked how much of the promised ₹300 crore, later revised to ₹600 crore, the government had actually released.
Kavitha reiterates RTC merger budget allocation demand
During the briefing, Kavitha alleged that authorities removed nearly 1,000 workers for trivial reasons. She claimed officials dismissed conductors over faulty ticket machines and pushed drivers into extreme stress. Such pressure, she said, led to heart attacks and deaths. She demanded immediate reinstatement of all dismissed employees.
Further attacking the government, she accused it of attempting to privatise RTC and hand operations to Megha Engineering. She argued that outsourcing staff in electric bus services weakened the corporation. Therefore, she said authorities must appoint only regular employees.
Turning to governance issues, Kavitha criticised Cabinet meetings held outside Telangana and called them an affront to the State’s self-respect. She asserted that the Cabinet should meet at the Secretariat.
She announced that Telangana Jagruthi would support the RTC workers’ “Chalo Secretariat” programme on the 24th. If the government fails to respond, she warned, the organisation will intensify its agitation.
