Hyderabad, April 23 (IANS) The public road transport services across Telangana remained crippled on Thursday as the indefinite strike by the employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) entered the second day.

The TGSRTC is operating partial services by deploying hired and private buses in some districts. The management has also deployed electric buses and using the services of outsourcing staff.

The strike continued to cause hardships to thousands of commuters in state capital Hyderabad and other districts.

People were seen relying on cabs, autorickshaws and private vehicles to reach their destinations. People complained that private vehicles were collecting exorbitant fares.

Commuters in Greater Hyderabad were also using Metro and MMTS trains as authorities ramped up their operations to minimise inconvenience to the public.

On the second day of the strike, employees staged protests outside depots. On a call give by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), employees gathered outside the depots and raised slogans in support of their demands.

Various political parties extended support to the striking employees. Leaders of Opposition parties joined the employees in their protest.

Main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) urged the government to resolve the long-pending demands of the employees.

RTC buses of neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra were being operated from Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) and Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) in Hyderabad.

TGSRTC was also operating a few hired buses from MGBS, the biggest bus station in the state.

Abut 40,000 employees are on strike in support of their 32 demands. The main demands include merger of TGSRTC with the government and pay revision.

TGSRTC Managing Director, Nagi Reddy, has termed the strike as illegal. He has urged the employees to return to work. He warned that the salaries of employees staying away from duties will be deducted and that they will also face other strong action.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has once again appealed to TSGRTC employees to end the strike.

He stated that RTC remains a lifeline for the rural poor across Telangana, serving nearly 65 lakh passengers daily, including around 40 lakh women who depend on these services for employment, education, and healthcare needs.

He stated that the government has shown a positive approach towards resolving employee concerns. Out of the 32 issues raised by RTC workers, 29 have already been agreed upon in principle, while discussions are ongoing on the remaining three technical issues.

He expressed concern that employee representatives walked out of discussions with a senior IAS officers’ committee, despite prolonged deliberations, and termed the move as part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise RTC operations.

The government reiterated its commitment to RTC by providing monthly financial support of ₹300–₹400 crore and has already taken several welfare measures, including ₹280 crore released through 2013 bonds and compassionate appointments provided to 1,134 families.

The minister emphasised that the government is not interested in labour exploitation and is actively working to reduce workload pressures, including reviewing depot-wise working conditions.

He assured that key demands such as merger, union recognition, and PRC revision are under active consideration, and a committee comprising senior officers will submit recommendations on the remaining issues.

–IANS

ms/rad