Smiles back on RTC workers as they join duties after 55 days

Hyderabad: Smiles were back on the TSRTC employees as they joined duties on Friday after 55 days of strike and restrictions.

The TSRTC depots which were witness to the protests by the striking employees amidst high police security were buzzing with employees returning to duties.

The drivers and conductors were lined up before the depot managers for their daily trips. The mechanics and other shramiks were happy distributing sweets and hugging each other for joining the duties.

The workers thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for taking them back into jobs. V Sonu Kumar, a conductor said that he was happy with the government's decision to allow the workers to resume their duties.

He said that they had to face many financial problems during the last three months. "We could not pay the school fees of our children. There was nothing but darkness and future looked uncertain but thankfully the chief minister has given a chance to the workers," he stated.

A lady conductor Uma Rani apologised to the chief minister for the abuses she hurled at him. She said they had fallen into the trap of the union leaders and now they would work more efficiently.

She said that they would work to get more funds during the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara in Medaram.

At some places, some of the workers have conducted milk bath to the photos of chief minister for his positive gesture. The chief minister had asked the RTC workers to join duties without any conditions after

cabinet meeting in Pragati Bhavan on Thursday night.

However, some of the workers resumed duties without much fanfare.

While some of the TRS leaders tried to celebrate and thank the chief minister for his gesture, the workers took exception and sent them back.

This incident was in Chengicherla depot where some TRS leaders came near the depot and fixed photograph of chief minister and started to burn crackers.

A worker came and threw away the cracker and another women conductor argued with the leaders as where they were during the last 55 days.

The lady conductor rued that even after the death of so many workers not even a single TRS leader came to console their families but came here to celebrate.