Hyderabad: Uttam calls for unity among opposition over RTC strike

Hyderabad(INN): Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday appealed to all the political parties, employees unions and organizations to join hands to oppose the illegal dismissal of nearly 50,000 RTC employees by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

Addressing a live programme on social media platform Facebook on Wednesday evening, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Chief Minister was playing with the lives of more than 50,000 families by ordering the removal of RTC employees who participated in the strike. Describing the move as illegal, undemocratic and un-constitutional, he said that KCR was trying to rule the Telangana State like a dictator. "RTC is not KCR's Jagir (fiefdom). He was elected as the Chief Minister for a period of five years to serve the people. His job is to run the government and its institutions in a fair manner. He must realise that he does not own the government or its institutions," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Chief Minister's decision was aimed at not only punishing the RTC employees, but also at terrorising the employees of other departments. "If KCR is not forced to withdraw his decision and hold talks with the employees to resolve their issues, he will take this as precedent and repeat the same with employees of all other departments. If this is allowed, then tomorrow there will be no rights for employees and no unions to take up their issues. KCR will turn Telangana into a dictatorship," he said.

The TPCC Chief appealed the Left Parties, the CPI and CPI (M), to review their decision on their support in Huzurnagar by-elections. He said TRS Government has suppressed the rights of RTC employees and also dismissed nearly 50,000 employees in a single stroke. "How could CPI support the same party in Huzurnagar by-elections?" he asked while appealing the CPI leadership to review the decision. He said Huzurnagar bye-election was the best opportunity to teach TRS, the anti-workers government, a fitting lesson.

Uttam Kumar Reddy ridiculed the TRS leaders who questioned his contribution for Huzurnagar Assebmly constituency in the last 10 years. Giving a complete list of achievements, along with total statistics, he said as the MLA of Huzurnagar since 2009, he had executed development works worth more than Rs. 3,000 crore since 2009. They include projects for irrigation and drinking water, roads, bridges, street lights and other infrastructure. He said he had established a Degree College, 100-bedded hospital, MRO office and other civic infrastructure in Huzurnagar. He said also sanctioned nearly 40,000 Indiramma Houses for Huzrnagar. However, he said that the TRS Government did not clearly Indiramma scheme dues in the last 5 years.

The TPCC Chief said that the TRS Government brought no development anywhere in Telangana State. "There is no constituency in Telangana which witnessed development under TRS rule. Every region and sector remained neglected. KCR and his government focused only on schemes that bring them kickbacks and commissions," he alleged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said Huzurnagar has been a peaceful constituency since beginning and there was no enmity among political rivals. However, he alleged that TRS leaders were promoting sand mafia, rowdism and other anti-social activities. He also alleged that the Congress workers were being harassed using police force. He expressed confidence that people of Huzurnagar would vote for Congress candidate Padmavathi Reddy and ensure her victory with a huge margin.