Telangana Assembly passes TSRTC merger Bill

Hyderabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Telangana Assembly on Sunday passed a Bill for absorption of over 43,000 employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) into government service.

The Assembly unanimously passed the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023 after it was tabled by Transport Minister P. Ajay Kumar.

The Bill was passed towards the end of the four-day monsoon session after Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan granted her approval for the introduction of the same, ending the uncertainty that prevailed for the last three days.

Kumar assured that the assets of TSRTC will remain with the Corporation. He also told the House that the dues of the employees will be paid and the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) will apply to all TSRTC employees.

After passing the Bill, the House was adjourned sine die. It was the last session before Assembly elections due towards the year-end.

Earlier, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said in the Assembly that the Governor unnecessarily withheld the Bill and sought 96 clarifications. He then thanked her for finally giving the nod for the Bill’s introduction.

He also lashed out at those alleging that the government has its eyes on the lands and other assets of TSRTC, stating that if necessary, the government will make lands available to TSRTC to strengthen its infrastructure and improve the public transport system.

KCR said the Cabinet took the decision on TSRTC after four-hour long discussion as the government believes that strengthening TSRTC to improve public transport system is its social responsibility.

The Governor gave her approval after holding a meeting with officials of the transport department and the roads and buildings department. She had earlier sought certain clarifications from the state government.

Along with her approval, the Governor made 10 recommendations to the state government.

She recommended that the ownership of the lands, assets, and properties of TSRTC should vest with the Corporation itself for its sole and exclusive use, even after the absorption of RTC staff as government employees.

It is recommended that the assets be finally divided, and the process completed between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the AP Reorganization Act.

The Governor also recommended the government to clarify and assume the liability of clearing the arrears from the erstwhile APSRTC.

“It is recommended that the emoluments of the RTC employees once absorbed as government employees be on the same scale as other state government employees following pay scales, service rules, and regulations vis-a-vis salary, transfers, promotions, retirement pensions, or provident funds, and other gratuities.”

She also recommended that the TSRTC employees already absorbed should have the feasibility and facility to request 'compassionate appointment' for family members on medical grounds if the employee becomes unfit for service owing to the extreme stress and physical strain of work with the RTC.

“Disciplinary proceedings within the RTC are extremely stringent. Therefore, it is recommended that the disciplinary proceedings be more humane and in tandem with the same service rules and regulations as the remaining government employees and the relevant service rules,” the Governor said.

If the absorbed RTC employees are sent on deputation to other departments, it is recommended that their grade, pay, salary, and promotions, etc., be protected for their benefit so that there is no disturbance vis-a-vis their elevations and promotions, she added.

The draft Bill was sent to the Governor on Wednesday. Since it was a money Bill, it needed the Governor’s approval for introducing the same in the Assembly.

After the government submitted a reply to the clarifications sought on Friday, the Governor had sought some more clarifications on Saturday.

On Saturday, a section of TSRTC employees had gone on strike for a few hours demanding the Governor to approve the Bill. Hundreds of TSRTC employees had also marched to the Raj Bhavan to press for their demands.

The Governor had held a video conference with the leaders of TSRTC employees’ unions from Puducherry, where she holds additional charge as Lieutenant Governor.

Later, she had issued a statement saying there is no personal or other political interest involved in withholding consent for introducing the Bill. She claimed that her only concern is to safeguard the interest of the TSRTC employees and the organisation in larger public interest.