RTC merger: Telangana Assembly witnesses heated exchanges

The trouble started during Question Hour when senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao asked the government to announce a date by which the RTC staff would be recognised as government employees.

Hyderabad: The State Assembly on Wednesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the principal opposition party BRS on the issue of recognising staff of the State Road Transport Corporation as government employees.

The trouble started during Question Hour when senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao asked the government to announce a date by which the RTC staff would be recognised as government employees. Criticising the government for delaying the process of absorbing RTC employees into the government and recognizing them as government employees, he said the BRS government had started the process but the Congress government, even after seven months, was not taking steps to merge the RTC with the government.

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“Congress made tall promises with regard to RTC employees welfare during the polls and even promised to provide two PRC to them. But so far, it has not taken any step in that direction,”he said.

Not satisfied with the reply of Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, he asked the minister to announce the date of recognizing the RTC staff as government employee. Instead of giving a date, the irritated Transport Minister accused the previous BRS government of destroying the RTC.

Intervening in the discussion, Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu said since the Transport Minister had given the answer to all the questions, BRS members could raise the issue in some other form and allow the House to function. Not satisfied with the explanation of the Minister, BRS members rushed to the podium of the Speaker and demanded that Harish Rao be allowed to speak on the issue. However, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar told the members that during Question Hour, discussion could not be allowed.

Meanwhile, the Speaker gave permission to CPI member Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao to speak on the issue, to which the BRS MLAs protested. They said since the CPI member was not in the list of members who raised the particular question, he could not be allowed to speak.

Intervening in the discussion, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said once a question was tabled, it becomes the property of the House and any member could speak on the issue with the permission of the Speaker. He said the CPI member was allowed to speak on the issue as his party played a vital role in the 50-day strike of RTC employees during the previous government.

With the commotion continuing, the Speaker stopped the Question Hour and started the condolence motion.