Telangana: Protests by RTC employees enter day 11

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) workers intensified their agitation as their strike entered the 11th day on Tuesday.

Student and teacher orgsations, along with opposition parties have extended solidarity by participating in the protests.

Mohammed Naseeruddin, TSRTC Mechc from Barkatpura Depot told , "Today is the eleventh day of strike. Six RTC employees have lost their lives in this struggle but the government is not taking any step towards a solution. These are not personal demands, Chief Minister himself promised the merger of RTC with the state government."

"If RTC is privatised, all the public welfare facilities such as bus passes, NGO pass, journalist pass will not be accepted by the privatised orgsation and travel fares in busses will go high. Due to these adverse effects, we are agitating," he added.

The Telangana High Court on Thursday posted the matter of RTC for October 15 and asked the state government to submit a detailed report on the issue.

"Our demand is to merge RTC with the state government, buy new buses, to take new recruitment and to remove motor vehicle tax. Today is the eleventh day and we have blocked the road," Rajnikanth, another TSRTC worker told .

The RTC employees have been protesting in Telangana against a statement issued by the state government with regards to sacking over 40,000 employees. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has said that there is "no question" of having any talks with the agitating 48,000 RTC employees.

"Over 49,000 RTC workers are on strike. Our six workers lost their lives and the government is not taking any action. We are requesting the government to solve our problem," TSRTC worker Prakash said.

Various political parties including BJP, Congress, TDP and CPI have also come together in support of RTC employees. The workers had gone on strike on October 5, demanding the merger of the RTC with the government.

( With inputs from ANI )