Ending two days of tug of war between the government and the Raj Bhavan, Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday has granted her approval for the introduction of the TSRTC Bill .
A press communique from Raj Bhavan this afternoon said the Governor granted her approval for the introduction of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023 in the Telangana State Legislative Assembly while making some recommendations to the State Government.
The latest development brought to an end the tussle between the Government and the Governor’s office. The last 48-hours saw protests by TSRTC employees, who staged a demonstration outside the Raj Bhavan. The Governor, who was away in Puducherry, held a video conference with the employees’ union representatives where she clarified her stand on why she sent back the draft Bill. She asserted that employees interest was on top of her mind.
The issue threatened took a political colour as the BRS and BJP leaders got into war of words accusing each other. While granting her approval, the Governor gave 10 recommendations including 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.
The Governor recommended that the assets be finally divided and the process completed between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the AP Reorganization Act. She wanted the Government to clarify and assume the liability of clearing the arrears from the erstwhile APSRTC.
The Governor wanted 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.
Among other recommendations, she said 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. Disciplinary proceedings within the RTC were extremely stringent and therefore, they should be made more humane and in tandem with the same service rules and regulations as the remaining government employees and the relevant service rules.
If RTC absorbed employees were sent on deputation to other departments, it was recommended that their grade, pay, salary, and promotions, etc., be protected for their benefit so that there is no disturbance vis-à-vis their elevations and promotions, the press communique said. The Governor recommended that the contract employees or outsourced employees be treated and given similar benefits and salaries pursuant to State service rules as regular employees, and their service be recognized and protected for further service in other capacities or departments, including provident fund.
It was recommended that the regular employees and contract employees, as long as they were 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, the note added.
Finally, in reference to the vitality and the stand of the RTC Unions and the Corporation itself in the upkeep of its buses, it was 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.
The Governor conveyed her best wishes to all the employees of TSRTC and their families and hoped that this absorption into government service would benefit them all.
