Hyderabad, March 12: The Telangana government on Wednesday released Rs 235 crore to pay the employees of state road transport corporation. The money was released towards payment of salaries of employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) for the period when they had gone on a strike between October and November 2019. TSRTC Strike Called Off, Telangana Government Refuses to Take Back 48000 Employees Who Joined Protest.

A press note from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated, “In accordance with the promise made by the Chief Minister, the state government has issued orders releasing Rs 235 crore from the Finance Department, to pay the salary amount of RTC employees for the strike period.”  Over 48,000 employees of TSRTC went on to strike on October 5 last year. They were demanding the merger of the TSRTC with the state transport department. TSRTC Strike: Section 144 Imposed at All Depots Across Hyderabad for Saturday Amid ‘Bus Roko’ Call by Protesting RTC Employees.

In the latest budget, the KCR government had also allocated Rs 1,000 crore for RTC. The strike under the banner of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the TSRTC workers’ unions also demanded pay revisions. According to reports, over 20 TSRTC workers lost their lives during the strike. The employees who went on the strike were asked to return to duties on the condition that would not be part of any agitation. During the 51-day long strike, the KCR-led government in Telangana had suspended the protesting employees.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2020 09:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).