HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's proposal of privatisation is inviting stiff opposition from the employee unions and the public as well. Interestingly, along with their counterparts in Telangana who are participating in strike for separate state, RTC employees in other regions too are severely opposing the move.With the RTC employees in Telangana in no mood to call off the strike in the immediate future, the management has dusted off the long- pending proposal of privatisation. While many view the announcement by the RTC management as an attempt to scare the striking employees, the unions have warned that any such attempts will not be tolerated by the people of the state. The participation of RTC employees in the Sakala Janula Samme since September 19 has caused a heavy loss of Rs 140 crore to the corporation apart from causing severe trouble to the travelling public. According to RTC managing director B Prasada Rao, the strike is inconveniencing over 70 to 80 lakh commuters. "The management is in a helpless condition and the government has given some suggestions on privatising the organisation," he said.However, Prasada Rao said that the government would take a final call only after consulting all stakeholders. He admitted that the RTC was a company established to serve the public and its privatisation was not an easy task. "It is up to the people's representatives as they will be consulted before taking any decision. Employees can avert any such proposal only by joining the duties and helping the organisation recover from the losses," he said.Meanwhile, RTC unions across the state have strongly condemned the proposal for RTC privatisation and threatened an agitation if the government takes such a step. "The management has made the statement only to frighten and force the striking employees to call off their agitation which will not happen until statehood is granted to Telangana. The government is known to have made such provocative statements during earlier strikes," said Aswathama Reddy, convenrr of National Mazdoor Union-Telangana Forum.There are similar reactions from other parts of the state as well. Putting aside their regional divide, employee unions in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions have strongly opposed the privatisation proposal. The Krishna district RTC-NMU secretary R Subba Rao told Express that a massive agitation would be launched by all RTC employees unions, including those in Telangana, if the government came up with any such proposal. The government's threat of privitisation was nothing new and had been made several times in the past, he recalled.
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