The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : State urged to bail out RTC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

State urged to bail out RTC

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 21. The need for the State Government to initiate urgent steps and come to the rescue of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) was underscored by leaders of political parties here on Sunday.

At a Round Table hosted by the APSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, the CPI(M) State secretary, B.V. Raghavulu, demanded that the Government reimburse the corporation to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crores. A majority of this should be by way of concessions extended by the RTC. If it were reimbursed, a sizeable chunk of the losses would be covered.

He recalled that when the Telugu Desam Government attempted to privatise the corporation, the Congress had opposed it. Now that the Congress was in power, it was time the promises were fulfilled.

Cascading effect

The Congress leader, M. Kodanda Reddy, said Governmental help would have a cascading effect on rural economy, as several villages were still without bus service. Buses to every village would mean access to markets, which would spin-off. The subsidies and concessional fare system needed to be scrutinised and modified, he said.

Yadagiri Reddy of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi said it was ironical that operators with less than half-a-dozen buses were showing profit while a corporation with the world's largest fleet was in the red. Among the common demands made by speakers included the calling of an all-party meeting, including representatives of the management and unions, and constitution of an expert committee to look at how illicit operations were affecting revenues.

Among those who spoke were M.N. Reddy, P.N. Murthy and R. Lakshmaiah, president, vice-president and general secretary of the Federation, K. Nageshwar, journalism teacher, and Raghavachari, formerly of the REC and subject expert.

Union's threat

The general secretary of the Federation, R. Lakshmaiah, and four other office-bearers would go on a fast-unto-death from December 10 if the Government did not come to the rescue of the corporation.

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