Hyderabad: The TSRTC rental owners have called off the strike that was scheduled to take place on January 5 after a meeting here with managing director Sajjanar.
Earlier in the day, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) rental owners had called for a strike saying the free travel for women under the Mahalakshmi Scheme was leading to mileage problems.
They added that issues such as insufficient insurance coverage and fear of potential severe financial losses in case of accidents were not addressed by the state government.
Later, the TSRTC rental owners met state transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar and managing director VC Sajjanar expressing their concerns, with the minister promising to set up a high-level committee.
Sajjanar, while speaking to reporters said, “The hired bus owners have brought some issues to the attention of the TSRTC management. They said that they are facing difficulties after the implementation of the Mahalakshmi Scheme. A long discussion was held with the top officials of the company. It was decided to set up a high-level committee as per the directions of transport minister Shri Ponnam Prabhakar. The committee will examine all aspects from a scientific point of view. The organization compiles the data of buses and hire buses and makes a decision. Hire bus owners have responded positively to this.”
The impending strike was called off after the meeting.
Maha Lakshmi scheme
The Maha Lakshmi scheme, announced by the Telangana Congress during the election campaign, aims to provide several benefits to Telangana women, including financial assistance of Rs 2500 per month, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel in TSRTC buses.
While the first two promises are yet to be implemented, the government has already introduced free travel in TSRTC buses. According to TSRTC, since the inception of the Mahalakshmi scheme, approximately 6.50 crore women in the state have availed themselves of free travel in state-run buses.
