He recalled that 20 RTC unions had earlier held discussions with the deputy chief minister, ministers and officials for nearly 15 hours, with elections for a recognised union emerging as their primary demand.
Replying to a question in the legislative council, the minister said the govt was involving recognised unions to avoid the perception that it was taking unilateral decisions. Hyderabad: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday said the Congress govt had initiated the process of conducting elections for a recognised union in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC), stating that the proposed merger of RTC employees with the state govt would be finalised through a committee involving the elected recognised union.
More than 10,000 RTC buses are currently operating across Telangana, according to the minister. Ponnam alleged that the previous govt had weakened the corporation and remained indifferent when workers were on a 60-day strike. He claimed that the previous govt later announced the merger of RTC after realising that around 40,000 RTC workers were opposed to it during the elections, but failed to implement the merger.
He said the corporation presently held the third position in the country and expressed confidence that it would soon move to second place. He described RTC as a lifeline for the poor, comparing its importance to that of the Railways as the lifeline of the nation.