TSRTC merger bill: Governor kicks up yet another storm; refers bill to Law Secretary

The Governor, who earlier took her own time to give her consent to table the bill in the Assembly, has now referred the bill to the Law Secretary for legal opinion

Hyderabad: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan is once again in the eye of a storm, and that too over the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation merger bill which was sent to her for approval by the State government after it was passed in the Legislative Assembly earlier this month. The Governor, who earlier took her own time to give her consent to table the bill in the Assembly, has now referred the bill to the Law Secretary for legal opinion.

With approval for the bill dragging on and delaying the entire process once again, the Telangana Mazdoor union is preparing to take to the streets in protest. TMU general secretary M Thomas Reddy, pointing out that the lives of over 43,000 RTC employees depended on the bill, had said on Wednesday that if the Governor did not approve the bill by Thursday, the union would go on protest across the State from Friday. However, Thomas Reddy said on Thursday that a final decision on the union’s action plan would be taken on Friday. The union was planning to meet Finance Minister T Harish Rao as well on Friday to know the State government’s reaction, he said.

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With protests being voiced accusing the Governor of delaying the bill on Thursday as well, the Governor’s Office issued a press statement, claiming that the Governor was following ‘normal practice’.

“In accordance with the Telangana Government Business Rules and Secretariat Instructions, all bills received from the Secretary to the State Legislature, including the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill-2023, have been referred to the Law Secretary for opinion. This is a normal practice stipulated in the relevant rules,” it said.

The statement said the Governor had provided 10 recommendations based on representations, “in the best interests of the employees and the well-being of the corporation”, while permitting the introduction of the bill in the Assembly. Earlier too, four other bills were returned to the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council with messages containing certain recommendations. The Governor wants to “ascertain whether these recommendations were properly taken care of” in the bill now received or not, the statement said, adding that based on the recommendations of the Law Secretary, further action on all bills, including the TSRTC bill, would be taken.

The press communique also said it was issued to “quell the misinformation circulating in certain quarters, including print and electronic media”, claiming that the Governor had withheld the TSRTC bill and decided to reserve it for the assent of the President of India. She had not done so, it added.