CM wants strong argument in HC to prove government right

Hyderabad: The ongoing tussle between the government and the striking RTC workers' unions is likely to aggravate further with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao instructed legal experts to make an effective argument on the RTC case in the High Court in the next hearing and the RTC unions resolved to hold a 'Million March' soon against KCR's indifference towards addressing their problems.

Taking serious note of the repeated reprimands by the High Court on submitting 'sketchy' reports to the court on RTC issue and the huge turnout at Sakala Janula Samarabheri on Wednesday, the Chief minster summoned top officials and Advocate General BS Prasad to his camp office and reviewed the status of the RTC case in the court.

Top officials said that KCR had instructed the legal experts to coordinate with the officials of the Transport and Finance departments for the preparation of a comprehensive report which is to be submitted to the court on November 1.

It may be mentioned here that the High Court grilled the officials on their failure in furnishing the details of pending reimbursement dues owed to the crisis-hit RTC during the hearing on Monday.

The Chief Minister enquired about the observations made by the High Court on the financial assistance extended to the RTC. He asked the officials to show all original documents pertaining to the government's help mainly the Corporation's failure in overcoming the losses despite the government's vain efforts to make the RTC a profitable corporation since 2014.

Officials said that KCR had also instructed Transport Secretary Sunil Sharma and Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Sulthania to explain to the court the initiatives taken by the government to partly privatise the RTC to address the mounting financial burden.

Sources said that KCR will hold two more meetings with the officials and analyse the data prepared by the officials and seek clarifications from the Advocate General to fulfil the court orders.

The officials were also asked to compile the data regarding the losses incurred by the RTC since the beginning of the strike from October 5. The proposed Million March by the RTC employees is also learnt to have figured in the meeting.