Hyderabad: The RTC workers intensified their indefinite strike on Friday demanding payment of 43 per cent fitment allowance. Drivers and conductors protested at various bus depots across Telangana and prevented buses from coming out of the depots. Renewed attempts of talks failed on Friday evening when N. Sambasiva Rao, the RTC VC and MD, stormed out of the meeting with the unions.

Earlier in the day, RTC employees’ union leader K. Padmakar resigned from his post as board member of the Corporation. RTC workers clashed with police personnel at various places and protested across depots.

In Chittoor, police lathicharged protesting workers. The Warangal police imposed Section 144 in the jurisdiction of nine bus depots in the district. Massive protests were also seen at the Kothagudem bus station in Khammam.

The protest turned violent at Hanamkonda bus station where the management tried to operate some buses using contract drivers and conductors. At least 10 women conductors were injured when the agitating RTC workers clashed with the police. Another RTC driver clashed with the police at Kacheguda in the city. The RTC could operate 62 per cent buses in AP and only 19 per cent buses in Telangana.

Minister appeals for stir to end:

AP transport minister Siddha Raghava Rao appealed to the RTC employees to call off the strike and join their duties. He urged the union leaders to come for talks with the Cabinet sub-committee that has been constituted by the government to put the road transport corporation back on track of profit.

He said the state government is not in a position to give 43 per cent fitment to RTC employees on par with government employees. “We were able to run 58 per cent of the total 13,000 RTC buses in the state for the convenience of Eamcet candidates. We would be running over 60 per cent buses on Saturday. The AP government has been successful in providing transport facility for the Eamcet,” he claimed in a media conference at the Secretariat.

RTC managing director Sambasiva Rao said the corporation is operating with more than Rs 2,200 crore in losses and giving 43 per cent fitment would put an additional burden of Rs 78 crore per month and the arrears would touch Rs 1,548 crore. An assurance of giving 27 per cent fitment to end the strike is on the cards, he said.

Cops foil employee’s suicide bid:

A TSRTC employee attempted suicide at the Zaheerabad bus depot protesting against the police personnel, who tried to take out buses from the depot. The man tried to set himself ablaze after dousing himself in kerosene. However, his colleagues and the cops stopped him.

The RTC bus conductor, identified as Chandrappa, who came with kerosene, poured it on himself while shouting at cops. He then took out a match box. “However, we caught him before he could strike the match and poured water on him,” said a police official from Zaheerabad.

A team of police officers had reached the depot after around 30 employees refused to take out the buses and run them. The police asked them to start the service and one of the buses was coming out when Chandrappa jumped in front of the bus and threatened to end his life.