Telangana Governor gives consent to TSRTC merger bill

In her recommendations, she said that the ownership of the lands, assets and properties of the TSRTC be vested with the Corporation itself for its sole and exclusive use, even post the absorption of the RTC employees as government employees.

Hyderabad: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has finally given her consent for the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill to be presented in the State Assembly.

The Governor, who had a meeting with State officials on Sunday afternoon, gave her assent along with a few recommendations as well. These include that the ownership of the lands, assets and properties of the TSRTC be vested with the Corporation itself for its sole and exclusive use, even post the absorption of the RTC employees as government employees. The government should give an explicit undertaking to that effect, she said.

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In a set of 10 recommendations, the Governor also suggested that the assets be finally divided, and the process completed between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pursuant to the AP Reorganization Act.

She also recommended to clarify and take the liability of clearing the arrears from the erstwhile APSRTC, that the emoluments of the RTC employees once absorbed as government employees be on the same scale as other State government employees following pay scales, and all service rules and regulations vis-à-vis salary, transfers, promotions, retirement pensions or provident funds, and other gratuities.

She also recommended that TSRTC employees already absorbed should have the feasibility and facility to request compassionate appointments for family members on medical grounds if the employee becomes unfit for service.

Stating that disciplinary proceedings within the RTC were extremely stringent, she recommended that the disciplinary proceedings be more “humane” and in tandem with the same service rules and regulations as the remaining government employees and the relevant service rules.

Soundararajan also said that if the employees absorbed from the RTC were sent on deputation to other departments, their grade, pay, salary, and promotions etc., should be protected.

Calling for benefits and salaries for contract employees or outsourced employees on par with regular employees, and their service be recognized and protected along with provident fund, she also said regular employees and contract employees should receive the same health benefits of RTC hospitals, government-sponsored treatment up to a certain level and insurance benefits among others.

The Governor also wanted the government to take over the maintenance of buses through outsourcing to an independent entity or in any other manner.