The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Tempers fly over Kanna's remarks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Tempers fly over Kanna's remarks

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes during question hour on Monday when Transport Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana remarked that the TDP which had `ruined' the APSRTC had no right to talk about it.

Tempers ran high when TDP members objected to his remarks. Replying to a question by CPI(M) member Nomula Narasimhaiah and others, Mr. Lakshminarayana said though the Government would take a sympathetic view, Act 2 of 1994 was coming in the way and it needed to be amended suitably.

CPI(M) members wanted the Government to regularise services of casual drivers and conductors. TRS member Nayani Narasimha Reddy demanded equal pay for equal work. Congress MLA P. Janardhan Reddy said that the Industrial Disputes Act specifically mentioned that anybody who had worked continuously for 240 days should be regularised. However, the Minister rejected this suggestion.

RTC staff lauded

The Minister said the RTC was in profits (Rs. 45 crores) with an occupancy ratio of 74 per cent by the time N. Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister in 1995. It slipped into losses to the tune of Rs. 250 crores, besides an accumulated loss of Rs. 1,250 crores, when he demitted the office.

Because of the concerted efforts of employees, the corporation posted a profit of Rs. 100 crores despite implementation of revised payscales, he noted.

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