Five buses damaged in Khammam, driver hurt

Khammam/Vijayawada/Mahbubnagar:  The ongoing strike by RTC employees turned violent with agitating workers damaging buses and police resorting to lathicharge in many districts. When the authorities tried to run buses in Khammam by employing temporary drivers, the protesters stopped them shouting slogans against the RTC management and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. A heated argument took place between the workers and the officials.

When the officials went ahead with their decision to run buses without paying heed to the appeals made by protesters, the striking employees threw stones at the buses and thing went out of control soon. It spread across the city, resulting in the damage of nearly five buses in different places in Khammam city.

The glasses of three buses were damaged at Khammam Bus Depot, one bus at Yellandu Crossroads and another one at Rotary Nagar. As the violence escalated, a temporary bus driver got injured. The officials shifted him to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, some RTC workers organised ‘Vanta-Varpu Programme’ at Khammam Bus Depot to demonstrate their unhappiness over the decision of the RTC management and the government not to hike their fitment. The protesters brought utensils and provisions to cook food for themselves and also for others shouting slogans against the government.

They alleged that the Chief Minister had promised the RTC workers enhancement of salaries on par with the government employees during the separate Telangana movement. Despite the tension and protests by the RTC workers, the officials managed to run 43 buses in Khammam with the help of temporary bus drivers.

Workers clash with police

In Vijayawada, The strike turned violent when the RTC officials tried to ply some buses. The striking staff forcibly stopped contract workers who tried to operate the bus services. This led to a scuffle between the striking workers and the contract workers. The police entered the scene and pushed aside some of the workers, which led to a clash between the police and the workers.

RTC employees lathicharged

In Mahbubnagar, police took to lathi-charge on the striking RTC employees, who tried to obstruct plying of buses, in front of the bus depot at Wanaparthy on Saturday. The incident took place when the Depot Manager was trying to run buses with the cooperation of police on the instructions of higher officials. Police lathi-charged and dispersed the protesting employees and made way for buses to reach the bus stand.