Telangana government strengthening RTC, says Harish Rao

Medak: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday said that the Telangana government was making all efforts to protect TSRTC while the Centre was privatising all public sector undertaking companies across the nation. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Narsapur Bus depot, the first bus depot built post-Telangana creation on Wednesday, Harish Rao said that […]

Medak: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday said that the Telangana government was making all efforts to protect TSRTC while the Centre was privatising all public sector undertaking companies across the nation.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Narsapur Bus depot, the first bus depot built post-Telangana creation on Wednesday, Harish Rao said that it was built at a cost of Rs 4.65 crore and allotted 15 bus services immediately.

The Minister feared that the BJP may sell out TSRTC if they were voted to power in the State as the Central government had removed 50,000 employees from BSNL, and disinvested several public sector companies. Since RTC bus is the safest and cheapest transportation mode for the poor even today, Harish said the government would consider supporting the TSRTC as part of social welfare.

He called people to patronise the RTC by avoiding traveling in autos. Since many auto drivers were carrying more passengers than allowed, Rao said that the passenger autos were involved in accidents on many occasions. Criticising the Centre for privatising the public sector companies, Rao said that the government’s role was to set up new companies, but not to sell them. He said that the BJP-led Central government had offered Rs 2,000 crore incentive if the States privatised the public sector companies under their purview.

When Narsapur MLA C Madan Reddy urged the government to allot 50 bus services to Narsapur bus depot, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar assured to allot any number of services if there was demand. Medak MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, MLC Sheri Subash Reddy, Zilla Parishad Chairperson R Hemalatha, MLA M Padmadevendar Reddy, Telangana Women’s Commission Chairperson V Sunithalakshma Reddy, Collector Medak S Harish and others were present.