HELPING HANDS: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy receiving a cheque from RTC union leaders who called on him in Hyderabad on Thursday. - Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD: Buses are back on the roads after the APSRTC employees called off their two-day-old strike in the wee hours of Thursday.

But the entire episode has thrown up several questions. Mainly, what did the employees gain for all their labours for the past six months when they had been in the agitation mode. Secondly, did the corporation receive the additional assistance that the employees have been pressing such as further reduction in motor vehicle tax and money for new buses?

A top APSRTC official feels that the corporation would not get a rupee extra. Instead, it would end up getting less than what the Government had promised before the agitation. He pointed out that the Government had agreed to reimburse to the APSRTC all concessions given to various sections such as NGOs, students, physically handicapped and journalists. It had already paid Rs. 100 crores out of Rs. 368 crores promised.

The corporation would have got the reimbursement sooner or later. But, the employees had demanded immediate reimbursement of the remaining Rs. 268 crores following which the Government had deducted Rs. 230 crores towards motor vehicle tax. It had offered to release the remainder of Rs. 38 crores by December this year.

Possible sops

Even in the case of the motor vehicles tax of Rs. 330 crores due in 2004-05, the Government had not insisted upon immediate payment, until the unions raised the demand of reducing it by one percentage point. Now, the Government had said the matter would be offset against possible sops recommended by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

The union leaders, however, contest this view. They say the corporation now stood to benefit because of the sops announced. For example, the reimbursement of concessions a few months in advance would only help the corporation. Thus, the prevention of further loss by ensuring cash flow is tantamount to gain, said B. Rama Rao, APSRTC Employees.

The leaders further say that today's understanding would help the employees get Rs. 58 crores by way of dearness allowances (Rs. 8 crores), leave encashment (Rs. 18 crores) and ad hoc advance (Rs. 32 crores). Moreover, the strike period would be adjusted against leave due.

It is understood that the agreement was clinched after some active track two negotiations between a section of the union leaders and the Government. It was no surprise, therefore, that the union leaders and the Ministers sat at the negotiating table barely after a few hours after Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said there was nothing further to discuss.

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