Hyderabad, April 14 (IANS) Telangana Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday urged the TGSRTC employees to withdraw their decision to go on strike, reiterating that the government is always ready to resolve employee issues amicably through dialogue.

The minister said in a statement that the matter relating to the merger of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) with the government and issues related to trade unions fall within the government’s jurisdiction.

He, however, affirmed that the government is prepared to discuss all other employee-related issues, excluding these two specific topics.

The minister clarified that their doors remain open at all times to listen to the grievances of the employees.

His appeal came a day after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TGSRTC employees announced that the employees would go on indefinite strike from April 22 to press for their demands.

The minister noted that a 2.1 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) was recently implemented for RTC employees, and currently, there are no pending DA arrears. He also mentioned that the government is actively considering the issue of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) for RTC employees. The minister declared that the government remains fully committed to the welfare of its employees.

He recalled that the previous government had constituted a committee regarding the merger of RTC employees on September 9, 2023, hastily bringing the merger issue to the forefront just 10 days prior to the announcement of the election schedule.

He stated that within just 10 days of the committee’s formation, the election schedule was released on October 10, 2023; elections were held on November 30; and the results were declared on December 3. He explained that although the ‘people’s government’ was formed on December 7, 2023, the election code remained in force for an extended period — until June 6 — as the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced on March 16, 2024, before the government could fully settle down.

The minister noted that within 48 hours of assuming office, their government launched free bus travel for women under the ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, thereby strengthening RTC services. He revealed that the RTC, whose very existence was once in doubt, now has over 90 depots operating profitably.

The minister affirmed that the government accords the highest priority to three key aspects: the preservation of the RTC organisation, the welfare of its employees, and the convenience of passengers. He stated that a comprehensive study by a committee is essential to examine the various organisational and employee-related factors — as well as the government’s fiscal position — regarding the proposed merger of RTC employees with the government.

He appealed that the decision to go on strike at this juncture — when the RTC is gradually recovering — is ill-advised, as it would cause difficulties for both the organisation and the public.

The minister highlighted that the present government has introduced numerous reforms within the RTC through the implementation of the ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme. He further stated that outstanding PF arrears, which previously stood at Rs 1,205 crore, have been reduced to Rs 600 crore, while CCS arrears, originally amounting to Rs 690 crore, have been brought down to Rs 300 crore.

He stated that, in addition to introducing 2,978 new buses so far, jobs have been provided to 1,134 individuals through compassionate appointments. He further noted that the examinations for new recruitments have been completed and that the new employees are set to join duty soon.

–IANS

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