Telangana RTC strike: Driver, who set himself ablaze, dies

HYDERABAD: A driver of the Telangana RTC who allegedly attempted suicide on April 23, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday, officials said.

Shankar Goud, a 50-year-old driver, allegedly set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the Telangana State Regional Transport Corporation (RTC) employees were staging a protest in support of their demands on Thursday. They have embarked on an indefinite strike over a series of demands since April 22.

Goud, who suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.

"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 AM on Friday," a senior official said.

The body of the driver was taken to his relative's village Muttojipet in Warangal district for conducting funeral.

The RTC employees demanded that the body be taken to Narsampet where the driver worked to pay homage. However, police did not agree to the request, they claimed.

The leaders of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of RTC employees are scheduled to hold talks with the committee of bureaucrats appointed by the government on Friday.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the death of the employee and conveyed deep sympathies to the grieving family members, an official release said.

The chief minister assured the family that he would stand by them and provide all possible support on behalf of the government.

The government will hold talks with RTC workers and make sincere efforts to resolve their problems, he said.

In view of the strike by the RTC employees, the state government urged the staff members not to resort to extreme steps and invited them for talks.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar appealed to the employees not to lose heart as the government would hold talks sincerely.

The government would extend support to the deceased driver's famiy, he said in a statement.

The government would extend support to the deceased driver's famiy, he said in a statement.

He said untoward incidents are taking place due to the provocative statements of political leaders and appealed to the leaders to observe restraint.

Attacking the Congress government over the alleged suicide of Goud, BRS MLA T Harish Rao said his party supports the strike of the employees.

BJP state president N Ramchander Rao said party leaders and workers would meet the protesting employees at the RTC depots and extend solidarity.

On Thursday, another RTC employee also allegedly attempted suicide in Nalgonda but did not suffer any injuries, Roads and Buildings Minister Venkat Reddy said.

With some reports claiming that an RTC employee took a similar step at his residence in Khammam on Thursday evening, police said the incident was not linked to the ongoing strike by the employees and that it was due to family issues.

CM Reddy on April 23 directed ministers, led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, to invite employee unions for talks on Friday.

He had made it clear that the government is positive about addressing the problems of employees.

The JAC of RTC employees announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches, submission of memorandum to MLAs and other leaders.

The state cabinet on Thursday discussed the strike by RTC employees at a meeting presided over by the CM. They appealed to the employees not to resort to any extreme steps, stating that the government considers its staff members part of its family.

The employees began their strike on April 22 in support of a charter of 32 demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.