Hours after employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) protested at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan sought further clarifications on the draft TSRTC (Absorption of Employees into government service) Bill, 2023, including whether there was concurrence sought from the Government of India which holds 30% stake in the public sector enterprise, according to a communique from Raj Bhavan.
“If the concurrence has been obtained, a copy of the same is to be provided. If not, the steps taken by the State government to ensure legal compliance are to be furnished,” the communique said.
The Governor also sought depot-wise information on the number of employees working on a permanent, contractual, and casual basis, and any other category other than permanent.
In light of the State government’s response that the TSRTC would continue to exist, Dr. Soundararajan sought details about the TSRTC’s properties and whether they would remain with the Corporation or would be taken over by the State government.
Given that employees are to be absorbed, she sought clarifications on who would be responsible for functioning, and assigning duties to employees of running the fleet. “Additionally, the role of the Corporation in this regard is to be specified, with a focus on the interests of the employees and daily commuters,” the Raj Bhavan communique reads.
The Governor also sought clarification on whether employees would continue to work at the Corporation on a deputation or any other similar arrangement once they are absorbed.
The press communique described the absorption of TSRTC employees as an emotive issue and clarified that the Raj Bhavan must not be seen as “obstructing this long-standing desire which is an emotional issue”.
