It looks like Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has finally made up his mind to privatise the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), taking advantage of the indefinite strike by 48,000 employees and workers.
KCR, who addressed a press conference to react on the victory of the TRS in the by-election to the Huzurnagar assembly seat, came well prepared to make a statement on the RTC strike.
So, soon after a reporter raised the issue, the chief minister made it clear that there was no way to revive or save the RTC which had collapsed completely due to unreasonable and illegal strike of the employees.
“It is a gone case. The strike will end only with the end of the RTC. Nobody can save the RTC,” he said.
Stating that it is impossible to restore the pre-strike situation in the RTC, KCR said he would take a decision in four or five days.
“It doesn’t require a cabinet decision. Myself and transport minister will sit and decide the fate of the RTC with a simple signature. The very next day, 7,000 private buses will come into operation in Telangana for which I will give permits with a simple order,” he said.
He said the government was interested in providing transport facility to public and it didn’t matter whether it was RTC or private.
“In fact, the private services can provide a better service to the people at a lesser price,” he said.
He reminded that the NDA government itself had passed the new the Motor Vehicles Act, according to which the states can decide whether to continue the RTC or privatise it.
“The act came into force with effect from September 1. We shall go by the act,” he said.
