The Telangana Cabinet, on 31 July, decided to incorporate about 43,373 TSRTC employees into government rolls.
Governor Soudararajan had withheld approval, sparking protests by the TSRTC employees across the state. (Supplied)
After a day of strike and political bickering between the BRS and the BJP, the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Sunday, 6 August, passed the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023.
It also incorporated the 10 recommendations that Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan made to the draft when giving it her assent to be introduced in the House.
Ending two days of TSRTC employees’ anxiety, the Governor on Sunday afternoon granted permission for the introduction of the Bill in the Assembly with 10 recommendations which she made.
Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar introduced the Bill, which was passed by the Assembly unanimously.
The BRS government sent the TSRTC Bill to the Governor on Wednesday, 2 August, seeking her approval to table it in the Assembly as it is a money bill.
The Telangana Cabinet on 31 July decided to take about 43,373 TSRTC employees on government rolls.
Governor Soudararajan withheld approval, sparking protests by the TSRTC employees across the state, with those in Hyderabad staging a march to the Raj Bhavan, her official residence.
Soudararajan on Saturday assured union leaders that she would approve the Bill to take them on government rolls as soon as she received clarifications to questions she had raised on the proposed legislation.
The Governor approved the Bill with certain recommendations.
She recommended that the ownership of the lands, assets, and properties of the TSRTC should vest with the corporation itself for its sole and exclusive use, even after the absorption of RTC employees as government employees. The government should give an explicit undertaking to that effect.
She also recommended that the assets be finally divided, and the process completed between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the AP Reorganisation Act.
She also asks the government to clarify and assume the liability of clearing the arrears from the erstwhile APSRTC.
She asked 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-à-vis salary, transfers, promotions, retirement pensions, or provident funds, and other gratuities.
“It is 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,” the press communique from Governor office reads.
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,” said the Governor.
Further, if the RTC’s absorbed employees are sent on deputation to other departments, it is recommended that their grade, pay, salary, promotions, and other components be protected for their benefit so that there is no disturbance vis-à-vis their elevations and promotions.
She also asked the government that the contract employees or outsourced employees be treated and given similar benefits and salaries pursuant to state service rules as regular employees, and that their services be recognised and protected for further service in other capacities or departments, including provident funds.
“The regular employees and contract employees, as long as they are in service, receive the same health benefits of RTC hospitals, government-sponsored treatment up to a certain level, and insurance benefits in tandem, and the families of regular employees also be included in the health benefits scheme,” she recommended.
Further, the vitality and the stand of the RTC Unions and the Corporation itself in the upkeep of its buses.
“It is recommended that the government take over the maintenance of buses, etc., through outsourcing to an independent entity or in any other manner, undertaking to bear the financial burden of the maintenance and upkeep of the buses for the safety of the people,” she said.
Saturday, 5 August was marked with rancour and protests outside Raj Bhavan by the TSRTC employees, with the BJP alleging that the state government was behind the mobilisation of the staff to turn the incident into a political conflict and derive benefit ahead of the elections in December this year.
Even as the state sent its reply to Soundararajan’s questions, the employees union leaders were invited for talks with the Governor.
A delegation of about 10 leaders presented their viewpoint before the Governor, who was in Puducherry earlier in the day, in a videoconference.
Later, speaking to the media persons, Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU) general secretary Thomas Reddy said that they had urged the Governor to clear the bill and that she had responded positively. “The Governor gave a patient hearing to our problems,” Thomas Reddy said.
“She had four questions regarding the Bill — about the RTC Act 1950 — and how it will change, employees coming under the state government and how the Motor Vehicles Act will change, as well as questions about arrears, pensions, and other issues,” Thomas Reddy told South First.
Addressing the employees of TSRTC virtually at Raj Bhavan, the Governor said that before she could clear the Bill, a thorough debate should take place after giving sufficient time to all the parties concerned.
She said: “The Bill should not be introduced in the Assembly haphazardly. As the constitutional head of the state, I have to be assured and verify the constitutional provisions and protect the larger interests of the public as well as the employees, hence I sought legal opinion and clarifications on five issues and sought an explanation from the government.”
In an official communique, the Raj Bhavan had said that during the video conference, one of the JAC representatives informed the Governor that employee unions have not given any call for the strike.
“It is completely a government-sponsored and forced strike; even the women employees are not spared. We were threatened and forced to give a strike call and organise the Raj Bhavan Seize programme. Some MLAs and a minister have orchestrated this dharna program,” he said.
The Governor, however, did not mention the clarifications that the state government reportedly sent to her answering the queries she raised last night when she returned the Bill.
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