Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan had put on hold TSRTC Bill to absorb corporation employees on government rolls
Published Aug 05, 2023 | 7:48 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 05, 2023 | 9:05 PM
The Telangana Cabinet, which met on 31 July, took the decision to take about 43,000 TSRTC employees on government rolls and sent the draft Bill to the Governor. (Supplied)
Faced with statewide protests by TSRTC employees, Governor Tamilisai Soudararajan on Saturday, 5 August, 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, who had raised five questions to the state government earlier — to which the chief secretary provided a detailed response — sought additional clarifications concerning the draft Bill on Saturday, with a Raj Bhavan communique stating that these were asked based on Soudararajan’s interactions with the employees and memoranda received from them regarding the proposed Bill.
The BRS government had sent the TSRTC (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill, 2023, to the Governor on Wednesday, 2 August, seeking her approval to table it in the Assembly during its brief, three-day session which ended on Saturday.
Governor Soudararajan had 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.
The Telangana Cabinet had, on 31 July, decided to take about 43,373 TSRTC employees on government rolls.
The entire day 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 the 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.
“The KCR government has reportedly replied to the questions. So, as soon as possible, the Governor said she will clear the Bill, and we are hoping it will be passed today in the Assembly,” added Reddy.
When South First reached out to the Governor’s office, her press secretary said Soundararajan had sent five questions to the government on Friday, and had received clarifications on those. “Additionally, she has sent five more questions to the government, but the government has not responded to the additional queries,” he added.
Addressing the employees of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TSRTC and representatives of Telangana Mazdoor Union 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.”
The Governor further said: “I am completely in favor of RTC employees. If they really get benefitted, I am absolutely in their favor. The Raj Bhavan Secretariat has sent a letter to the government seeking clarification on five concerns of the draft Bill, in the best interests, of both the TSRTC employees and the state. I appeal to the employees and all the parties concerned to study the Bill in detail and look into the provisions with greater scrutiny.”
She said she had no personal or political interest in withholding her consent for introducing the Bill.
“I am with you all. My only concern is to protect and safeguard the interest of the TSRTC employees and the organisation in the larger public interest,” she said.
The Governor informed the employees that she is concerned about their pending PRCs, EPF, and gratuity, leave encashment dues. A whole lot of retired employees are suffering and sending representations. More than ₹.3,000 crore of employees’ Welfare Cooperative Society’s money was taken by the government and it is yet to be returned to the society.
She said she was in favour of following a democratic process in protecting the public interest.
“Once I receive a reply from the government, I will take suitable action on the Bill to ensure and safeguard the interest of the employees,” she said.
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.
With news of the Telangana Governor withholding approval coming in the media, the TSRTC employees launched their protest early on Saturday by assembling at various bus depots across the state. They wore black badges and chanted slogans, urging the Governor to immediately approve the Bill.
The Governor expressed her concern over the inconvenience caused to the public due to the strike and assured the RTC employees that she would stand with them and safeguard their rights.
“I am pained to know about the strike conducted by RTC employees creating inconvenience to the common public…I want to convey that I am always with them even during the previous strike I was with them..now also I am studying it carefully because their rights should be safeguarded,” the Governor tweeted.
I am pained to know about the strike conducted by RTC employees creating inconvenience to common public…I want to convey that I am always with them even during the previous strike I was with them ..now also I am studying it carefully because their rights should be… pic.twitter.com/WXqTSWHj7Q
— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@DrTamilisai4BJP) August 5, 2023
The protests persisted beyond the initially planned two-hour duration, causing disruptions to public transportation as buses remained in the depots during the demonstration.
Employees’ unions from all RTC depots in the districts gathered early in the morning from 6 am to 8 am. Sit-in protests were also held at different locations in Hyderabad.
In the Hyderabad-Secunderabad area, almost 800 buses from 21 depots were off the roads during the period of strike.
Similar demonstrations took place in various parts of the state, including Uppal, Musheerabad, Parigi, Suryapet, Warangal, Khammam, and Bhadradri Kothagudem. The bus unions also threatened to besiege Raj Bhavan.
Meanwhile, hundreds of employees marched to Raj Bhavan.
The strike resulted in traffic snarls in Hyderabad, particularly along the road from Ambedkar Statue at Tank Bund to Ravindra Bharati near Secretariat, as PV MARG and Necklace roads were closed due to the TSRTC workers’ rally.
“With the merger of TSRTC with the government, our salaries will increase. It’s currently ₹25-30,000, but after the merger, our salary will increase to ₹40-45,000. The demand is not only for a salary increase but also for the merger of TSRTC,” a woman employee from JBS bus stand to South First.
“I have been working for 26 years and have not received any increment in the last 10 years due to lack of pay revision. Currently, my salary is ₹40,000, and I receive ₹30,000 in hand,” she added.
“After the merger, I will receive a better pension as well. With the current low salary, it is challenging to afford household items as the cost of everything is increasing day by day. There are two pending pay revisions since 2014. Additionally, the government still holds our credit society funds, provident fund, staff retirement benefit scheme fund, and the staff benevolent trust fund,” she pointed out.
“When the merger comes into force, the salaries will be according to the government pay commission and pay scale, taking into account seniority and experience,” a TSRTC driver told South First.
The Telangana government has clarified its position on a number of issues raised by the Governor in relation to the proposed Bill.
In a letter to the Governor, the Chief Secretary A Shanti Kumari said, “The proposed Bill does not need to mention the equity contributions of the state and central governments to the APSRTC, as the TSRTC would continue to function in its existing legal entity and form after absorption of its employees into government service. The equity contributions of the state and central governments to the APSRTC were ₹140.20 crore and ₹61.07 crore, respectively.”
The proposed Bill provides only for absorption of the establishment of the TSRTC into government service. The TSRTC would continue to function in its existing legal entity and form in all other respects after absorption of its employees into the government.
The Corporation Board would continue as the apex body of the TSRTC under the provisions of the RTC Act, 1950, to manage the issues pertaining to equity, loan, grant or other assistance of the Government of India and other related matters. Hence, it is not necessary to mention any of these details in the Statement of Objects and Reasons, she said.
The chief secretary also stated, “The nature of the TSRTC would not be changed until the bifurcation issues are settled. The issues pertaining to bifurcation are under examination by the Government of India, after submission of views by both the state governments.
The applicability of the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act after absorption of the TSRTC employees into government service, would be as per the provisions of the said Act. No provision in this regard is required in the proposed Bill. The interests of the existing employees are best served by absorption into the state government, which in fact is one of the main objects of the proposed Bill.
The chief secretary also clarified that there is no ambiguity in the proposed Bill in regard to the applicability of pension provisions or other provisions applicable to government employees to the TSRTC employees, post their absorption into government service.
Sections 4 and 5 of the Bill empower the government to frame, by notification, such provisions in this regard as may be necessary in the interests of the employees. For example, the government could decide to grandfather the pension benefits of the TSRTC employees, or it could decide to provide them with a new pension scheme.
The chief secretary said that no employee would be put to any hardship in terms of salaries and allowances, and that there is no bar to continue the various categories and cadres presently in TSRTC, post their absorption in government service also, by framing suitable service rules in that regard.
For example, the government could decide to retain the existing pay scale of the TSRTC employees, or it could decide to give them a new pay scale.
