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The employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have decided to intensify the strike even as an employee of Khammam depot was admitted to hospital with 80 per cent burn injuries after he attempted to immolate himself. His health condition is said to be critical. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who held a review meeting on Saturday to take stock of the situation, held the unions responsible for the loss of jobs of 48,000 employees.
He said the government would rope in temporary staff to man all the buses. But the government could so far manage to operate about 20 per cent of the fleet in the State capital. Reports reaching here indicate that the bus services in the districts have been hit.
Read also - Transport strike: Opposition flays TRS Govt for plans to remove 50,000 RTC staff
The Joint Action Committee of RTC employees' unions, which has begun the strike on October 5, has called for a State-wide bandh on October 19 to increase pressure on the government. The Opposition parties have announced support to the bandh. As a run-up to the bandh, the JAC would hold sit-ins at the depots across the State on October 14. It would also conduct public meetings to rally support from people. It would organise 'rasta rokos' and human chains on October 15 and rallies by students the following day.
Read more: RTC stir forces Govt to extend Dasara holidays by a week for educational institutions
On October 17, it would organise Dhoom Dham (protests by cultural teams) and two-wheeler rallies on October 18.
Leaders of Congress, CPM and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana Jana Samithi have extended their support to the bandh call given by the JAC. They decided on Saturday evening at the all-party meeting held to discuss the agitation programme.
With the strike crippling the public transport, the government has extended the Dasara holidays by a week. It issued an Order on Saturday, asking the educational institutions to reopen the colleges on October 21.
Demands
Besides pay revision, the RTC employees have demanded the merger of the corporation with the government. They also asked to reduce the tax on diesel, fill up vacancies piled up over a decade and replenish the fleet.
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