Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday, May 1, asked the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees to withdraw their decision to go on strike from May 6 over several demands.
Stating that TGSRTC has just started earning profits, he told the employees that it's their organisation and they have the responsibility to protect it.
The Joint Action Committee of TGSRTC employees last month announced that they will go on strike from midnight on May 6. The strike, led by the RTC Joint Action Committee (JAC) and supported by several unions, is over several pending demands, including completing its merger with the government.
The Chief Minister made the appeal while addressing a programme organised on the occasion of International Workers’ Day.
Advising employees not to get into a confrontation, he said that if they have any problems, they should talk to the minister concerned.
Revanth Reddy assured the employees that profits earned by the organisation would be kept in their hands, and they should suggest how to spend the money.
The Chief Minister told the employees that the state's financial position is not good and urged them to reconsider their decision and cooperate with the government.
He stated that the state's finances have just started to get back on track and hoped that there would be some recovery in a year.
Revanth Reddy cautioned employees from falling into the trap of the opposition. "Don't fall into the trap of those who did nothing for 10 years," he said.
The Chief Minister alleged that there was destruction and loot in the state during the last 10 years.
He alleged that former chief minister KCR stepped down after borrowing Rs 8.15 lakh crore. He claimed that to pay interest on the loans taken by KCR, the present government had to borrow Rs 1.58 lakh crore.
The Chief Minister revealed that the government is earning revenues of Rs 18,500 crore, and out of this, Rs 6,000 crore is being spent to repay debts taken by the previous government, while another Rs 6,000 crore is going towards paying salaries to government employees. Unless the government's revenues increase to Rs 22,000 crore, its basic requirements cannot be met, he said.