CM KCR announces huge sops for RTC workers

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has categorically said that employment security would be given to the TSRTC workers and not even one TSRTC employee would be sacked from the employment and not even one private bus would be permitted to operate even in a single RTC bus's route. He also s announced that from next year onwards, Rs 1000 Crore will provided in the State Budget for the TSRTC.

The Chief Minister desired that the RTC should become profitable in the next four months and every year it should earn Rs 1000 Crore profit and the RTC employees should get Rs one Lakh annual bonus. He announced that the September salaries of the RTC employees and workers would be paid this Monday. He also announced that salaries for the strike period would also be paid at one go. He also announced that the RTC employees and workers retirement age is increased from 58 years to 60 years.

KCR held a special interactive meeting with the RTC workers at Pragati Bhavan here on Sunday. Five workers' representatives from each depot from the 97 depots took part in the meeting. Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Government's Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, RTC MD Sunil Sharma, EDs, RMOs, DVMs and DMs, Controllers, Supervisors participated in the meeting.

CM KCR after having lunch with the RTC workers, held a two hour-long meeting with them. The CM responded and reacted to each and every issue of the RTC workers. The meeting took place in a congenial atmosphere. The CM solved the problems then and there and issued clear-cut instructions to the officials concerned.

The other major decisions announced by the Chief Minister include increment for employees and for those employees died during the strike period, one job will be given to member of their family within eight days. Rs 2 Lakh per family will be paid as an ex-gratia amount by the government. The responsibility of taking ticket will be with the passenger and no action will be taken against the conductors if a passenger fails to take the ticket. Employees having colour blindness should be given other responsibilities but should not be removed from the employment. Women employees should not be given nigh duties, they should complete their duties by 8 pm.

In every depot, within 20 days, exclusive toilets, dress change rooms and lunchrooms for women should be created. All TSRTC women employees, like their counter parts in the government, will get three months child care leave along with the maternity leave. Women employees need not wear the Khaki uniform; they can have their uniform in the colour of their choice. If the male employees also want a change in their Khaki uniform it will be done.

A committee will be formed to give suggestions to solve the problems faced by the women employees. For two year period, there will not be any elections for the TSRTC recognised Union. With two employees for each depot, Employees Welfare Board will be constituted. Health services in TSRTC should include parents of the employees. Measures should be taken to avail the medical services of private hospitals not only in Hyderabad but also other places in the State. Medicines should be distributed free of cost to the employees at every Dispensary. Employees parents should be given the free bus passes. The government will pass orders to help the children of the employees get the fee reimbursement scheme. The government will pay the employees PF dues and money to be paid to the CCS. Adequate spare parts will be made available at the Depots.

The Chief Minister also announced that employees working on temporary basis would be made permanent in the TSRTC. The government is making a housing scheme for the RTC employees. The RTC will also start goods and cargo services.

The CM urged the officials and employees to take a pledge that they would work in coordination to protect the RTC. He also urged that the RTC should be turn into a profitable organisation with united efforts and spirit as was done in case of achieving the separate Telangana State. He said that as Transport Minister he worked for three years and made the RTC into a profit-making organisation and hence he had all love for the Organisation even today. He assured that he would take all measures from the government for the survival and betterment of the RTC. He said from now onwards, officials and employees should work unitedly and protect the RTC. He wanted them to take the required measures to make loss-making depots into profit making ones. He wanted re survey of routes to be done. He said he would act as the brand Ambassador of the TSRTC. He said he would request TRS Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and MLCs to travel by RTC at least once in a month. MLAs should have a review meeting with the Depot Managers from their areas once in every two months. He wanted the Transport Minister to monitor this.

When CM KCR said that if need be, employees should work an extra one-hour and half an hour per day, the employees expressed their acceptance by applause. He announced if there is any State that is protecting the PSUs it is the Telangana State. He reminded that power generation was not given to the private sector. He desired that like the Electricity employees, the RTC employees should get more salaries and like the Singareni employees, they also should get the bonus every year.

Emotional outbreak at the meeting

The entire meeting the CM had with the RTC employees was high on emotional tone. The two-hour long interactive meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere and with a touch of humanness. The CM responded positively to the problems and issues of the employees. Everyone present at the meeting had tears of happiness in their eyes. The CM interaction, which is dotted with local idioms, apt sayings and jokes, evoked peels of laughter from the audience. The CM took several measures for the welfare of the employees and every such announcement evoked thunderous applause from the employees. The employees expressed their gratitude towards the CM, when he took some measures for welfare of the employees' families, with thunderous ovation.

The story that evoked laughter

Stating that there will be some people who would always be there to destruct any constructive work, the CM referred to the Ramayana Battle. When the Demons (Rakshas) who lost their lives due to Sri Ram's arrows which curtailed their age abruptly, appealed to Srirama what they should do, Sriram asked them take birth in Kaliyuga at different places. Such demons who took birth are fleecing the people now and there are also there in the TSRTC.

CM enquired about their personal problem during the lunch.

During the lunch, the CM freely mixed freely, affectionately interacted with the RTC drivers and conductors and enquired about their problems. The women employees responded positively when the CM spoke with them affectionately and they told about their problems. They shared with the CM their problem without any inhibition.