Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) unions called off their three-day strike late Friday after marathon talks with the government. The suicide of driver K Shankar Goud in Warangal intensified the protests. The government agreed to merge the RTC with the state and revise pay scales.
Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees kept buses off the roads for three days during the strike called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC). The suicide of driver K Shankar Goud in Warangal district intensified the unrest. In Hyderabad, services halted at Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Jubilee Bus Station, with police deployed to maintain order.
K Shankar Goud from Narsampet set himself on fire on Thursday in front of the Narsampet bus stand over unaddressed demands, including RTC merger with the government. He succumbed to injuries on Friday morning. The JAC raised 32 demands, focusing on pay revision, job security, and salary dues.
Late Friday night, negotiations succeeded, leading to the strike's suspension. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said at a 1 am press meet on Saturday, “We have decided that an official committee with government officials and RTC union leaders will be formed to start the merger.” JAC leader E Venkanna told The Indian Express, “The RTC buses will hit the roads early on April 25. The government has agreed to the pay revision.”
Authorities outsourced about 1,000 buses, including 450 electric ones, during the strike. The corporation operates over 9,300 buses statewide, with around 3,000 in Hyderabad ferrying 26 lakh passengers daily. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated, “The RTC workers have the right to protest... but not to take their own lives.”
