RTC warns of intensifying indefinite strike

Tirupati: The APSRTC employees Joint Action Committee members include the drivers, conductors and mechanical staff staged protest at the Telugu Talli statue here on Tuesday in protest against the division of the State. All the employees were on an indefinite strike from August 12 midnight demanding the withdrawal of decision of CWC over Telangana issue. They strongly demanded a united State if the APSRTC has to make profits.

RTC employees JAC leader A Prabhakar Yadav said that they were on an indefinite strike for about one month and no assurance has come so far from the Union government or from the Congress party. However, they said that they don’t have any alternative way other than intensifying the ongoing agitations. Due to the indefinite strike, all buses in the entire Seemandhra region were confined to only depots and garages, but by taking the sentiments of Tirumala pilgrims into consideration they have given exemption to Tirumala bus services, he pointed out.

As the Union government did not roll back its decision on Telangana, all employees were firm on stopping the services for two days between Alipiri and Tirumala, though as local people, they have belief on God and sentiments of pilgrims, he stressed.

When asked about troubles to pilgrims, he replied that, the Congress Party and union government have to be held responsible. As there was no positive response to their demands so far, the intensification of strike may be the only strong answer, he opined.

With the indefinite strike of RTC employees in Chittoor district, the total estimated loss incurred to RTC is about Rs. 55 crores. The average loss was estimated at about Rs. 1.50 crore from 13 bus depots in Chittoor district and the bus services were affected from July 31 to August 12 and the loss was estimated at about Rs. 1.1 crore for every day.

Though the bus services between Tirumala and Alipiri bus station were as usual with 107 buses, the revenue generations is about Rs. 12 lakhs a day, an official said.