The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation-Joint Action Committee announced that they are considering a state-wide bandh on October 19. The committee is also hoping to meet Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday to seek her intervention in the crisis.
During the all-party meeting held on Wednesday, the JAC said that they would carry out various protests every day — similar to the protests held during the Telangana agitation — before the state-wide bandh.
TSRTC JAC convenor Ashwathama Reddy asked BJP leader N Ramachander Reddy to help them with an appointment with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
“We will submit a memorandum to the Governor, and in another 10 days will call for a state-wide bandh,” Ashwathama Reddy said.
Reddy who chaired the meeting also sought the help of political and union leaders, who took part in the Telangana statehood movement, on how to lead the struggle.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao sacked around 49,000 protesting employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation for going on a strike on October 5. Further, he has also announced of privatizing half the corporation.
All the Opposition parties in the state -- Congress, BJP, TDP, TJS, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) New Democracy, JSP –- and several other unions had participated in the meeting to discuss the future course of action.
Speaking at the meeting, former High Court judge B Chandra Kumar questioned how KCR could privatize the TSRTC citing losses. He said that public transport is not for profit but for the welfare of the people. “The government too is in debts, will you (KCR) privatize it too then?” he questioned.
He stated that the employees had the right to protest.
TDP leader Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy cautioned that KCR’s government will also fall, just as Neelam Sanjeevaiah’s government did for his attempt to privatise RTC.
Further, Reddy suggested that the government has been spreading false information by calling them troublemakers. “So a lip campaign has to be done, exposing the government’s propaganda; and educate them. They should realize that they too would suffer if TSRTC is privatized.”
CPI(M) State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram alleged that there was a lobby behind privatizing the TSRTC. “It is a match-fixing,” he claimed.
“The CM has questioned the Left parties, whether they merge the public transport with the government. Ask him to visit Kerala and learn the benefits the RTC employees earn there. The RTC employees receive pension too in Kerala,” he said.
Other notable leaders who participated in the meeting include -- Anjan Kumar Yadav from Congress, Kodandram Reddy from TJS, and N Ramchander Rao from BJP.