RTC driver attempts suicide in Telangana’s Khammam over ‘harassment’ by officials

An RTC driver from Khammam’s Manuguru depot attempted suicide after alleging harassment by officials who denied him a conductor despite his health issues. He was hospitalized, while unions condemned the negligence and threatened statewide agitations if staff harassment persists

Khammam: An RTC driver from the Manuguru depot attempted suicide on Tuesday, allegedly due to harassment by officials.

The driver, Saidulu, had been assigned a long-distance service between Tirupati and Srisailam, equipped with ticket-issuing machines (TIMS), but without a conductor.

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Citing his ill health, as he had undergone two heart surgeries, Saidulu approached the duty supervisors and the Manuguru depot manager, expressing his inability to operate the service alone. He requested that a conductor be allotted.

The depot manager asked him to meet the Khammam Regional Manager (RM) for approval. Saidulu met the RM on Tuesday, explained his health condition and work situation, but the official reportedly refused to assign a conductor.

Deeply distressed, Saidulu consumed insecticide at the RM’s office. Alert staff immediately rushed him to the Government General Hospital for treatment.

RTC Employees Union state secretary Gudur Satyanarayana, Khammam region president B. Srinivasa Reddy and general secretary Pilli Ramesh strongly condemned the officials’ alleged negligence and warned that if harassment of staff continues, the union will launch statewide agitations.