TSRTC strike: Telangana CM says RTC will not be merged with government
Hyderabad: Declaring the indefinite strike by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) unions illegal, the state government on Sunday rejected their demand for a merger with the government.
According to an official release, the government also said there will be no further talks with the striking unions.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said employees who did not join their duties before the deadline (6 pm on Saturday) set by the government will not be taken back.
The stir by nearly 50,000 staff members entered the second day on Sunday with buses of the state-run TSRTC staying off the roads, affecting thousands during the festive season.
Different employees' and workers' unions of the TSRTC began an indefinite strike on Friday midnight across Telangana on a call given by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the TSRTC, demanding merger of the RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among other things.
Rao, who chaired a high-level review meeting, rejected the demand of TSRTC unions for a merger of the RTC with the government, the release said.
Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar and senior officials participated in the meeting.
Rao said the RTC is incurring losses to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore and has Rs 5,000 crore debts coupled with the ever-rising diesel prices.
When the RTC is in such a bad situation, there is no question of any compromise with those who are resorting to an unlawful strike that too during the festival season, he said.
"They have committed a grave mistake. Under no circumstances, the RTC will be merged with the government and the government will not have any talks with those who went on strike," the release quoted the chief minister as saying.
According to the release, the chief minister said the government is of the firm opinion that there should a permanent end to "blackmail tactics, indiscipline and actions that often create headaches".
Rao also categorically said there is no question of taking back the employees who did not join their duties before the deadline (6 pm on Saturday) stipulated by the government.
The chief minister directed the concerned officials to hire 2,500 private buses to make up for the shortfall of public transport. He also ordered that normal RTC operations be restored in 15 days. Rao said new employees should be hired soon and they should give an undertaking that they would not join any trade unions.
It was also decided that 50 per cent of the buses run by the RTC will be privately owned, the release said.
A committee formed under the chairmanship of senior IAS officers Sunil Sharma and Sandeep Sultania will look at all these issues and submit its proposals on Monday, it said.
He directed the officials to restore normalcy in the next 15 days.
"RTC should earn profits. It should be made into a profit-making organisation. People should not suffer under any circumstances. Profits should also be made from the RTC cargo service," the release quoted Rao as saying.
In a related development, a 'house motion petition' was filed by a student of Osmania University before the Vacation Bench of the Telangana High Court seeking directions to declare the strike illegal and to direct the unions to resume services as citizens were facing inconvenience on account of the strike.
The court was informed by the government counsel that alternate arrangements have been made and more buses were also being engaged to ensure that passengers do not face problems due to the strike.
The bench directed the state government to file a report on October 10 about the arrangements made. It also ordered to serve notices on two RTC unions.
The bench adjourned the matter to October 10.
TSRTC JAC chairman Ashwathama Reddy said their agitation will continue till their demands are met by the government.
Raising slogans against the state government, members of employees' and workers' unions took out protest rallies in different districts on Sunday.
The union leaders said they would hold a day-long fast on Monday in Hyderabad and warned that the agitation would be further intensified.
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Nicobar Tribal Council Alleges FRA Violations in Great Nicobar Wildlife Sanctuaries
Sri Vijaypuram (Port Blair): The Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar has alleged fresh violations of the Forest Rights Act in the notification of three wildlife sanctuaries linked to the Centre’s ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project, even as the Calcutta High Court is set to hear petitions challenging the mega project over similar concerns next month.
The Union government had, in October 2022, notified three wildlife sanctuaries in parts of Little Nicobar Island, Menchal Island and Meroe Island for the conservation of leatherback turtles, megapodes and coral ecosystems. The move came after the government acknowledged that the proposed infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island would affect coral colonies and nesting habitats of endangered species.
However, the tribal council has maintained that the sanctuaries were declared without consultation with the Nicobarese communities who traditionally inhabit and manage these islands.
In a letter dated April 23 addressed to the Assistant Conservator of Forests of the Nicobar Forest Division, the council reiterated its opposition to the sanctuaries and objected to the formation of a committee to determine eco-sensitive zones around the protected areas.
The council said its chairman had not been consulted before being included in the committee and was informed of his membership only a month after the committee was constituted.
The three notified sanctuaries include the Leatherback Turtle Sanctuary in parts of Little Nicobar Island, the Megapode Sanctuary covering the entire Menchal Island and the Coral Sanctuary spanning the whole of Meroe Island.
According to the council, Menchal and Meroe islands hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Nicobarese community, which believes the islands are inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors.
The council demanded that the sanctuary notifications be revoked and the eco-sensitive zone committee dissolved, alleging that both decisions were taken against the wishes of the indigenous community.
Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh has written to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act in the process of obtaining consent for diversion of forest land for the Great Nicobar project.
Ramesh argued that consent should have been obtained through the Tribal Council representing the Nicobarese communities instead of through Gram Sabhas representing settler families. He also questioned how the government-controlled Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti could provide consent on behalf of the Shompen community, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
He urged the Tribal Affairs Ministry to intervene and seek withdrawal of clearances granted for the project under the Forest Rights Act.
Earlier, Ramesh had also written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav alleging that environmental impact studies for the project were conducted in haste and without the detailed seasonal assessments mandated under environmental laws.
The dispute dates back to 2022 when the Andaman and Nicobar administration initiated the process for notifying the three sanctuaries before holding Special Gram Sabhas for diversion of forest land linked to the Great Nicobar project.
In May that year, the administration invited objections and claims regarding the proposed sanctuaries. Subsequently, on July 19, the Nicobar Deputy Commissioner certified that no objections or claims had been received.
The tribal council later wrote to the district administration stating that the notification process was carried out without ensuring that residents of Little Nicobar Island were informed as required by law. It alleged that no public announcements seeking objections were made in villages such as Bahua, Muhincoihn and Kiyang, whose residents traditionally use and manage parts of the notified areas.
The council said the Nicobarese community had protected the islands and wildlife for generations through customary practices and traditional belief systems.
It further argued that the sanctuaries would interfere with long-standing rights over forests and coastal areas. They noted that these areas are used for rituals, plantations, collection of forest produce, construction of huts and canoes, harvesting medicinal plants and worship.
In November 2024, the council objected to draft Island Coastal Regulation Zone plans, demanding basic infrastructure, instead of proposed eco-tourism activities in the sanctuaries. The council demanded better public restrooms, jetties, water facilities, pathways, and mobile connectivity.
The Nicobar administration issued a clarification in May 2025, stating that the sanctuaries would not affect hunting rights available to Scheduled Tribes in the Nicobar Islands. The council, however, rejected the clarification, stating that their dependence on forests and coasts extended far beyond hunting activities.
Earlier this month, a Bench led by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court dismissed preliminary objections raised by the Union government against petitions challenging the diversion of forest land for the Great Nicobar project. The matter has now been listed for final hearing in June.
