Khammam observes bandh after death of TSRTC driver

KHAMMAM/WARANGAL: Following the death of D Srinivas Reddy, 55, driver of TSRTC Khammam depot, a bandh was observed in Khammam district. Khammam bandh call was given by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TSRTC and various political parties after a meeting on Sunday.

Meanwhile, leaders of numerous political parties including Congress, TDP, CPI, CPM, and CPI New Democracy staged agitations across the district. Congress party working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka took part in a dharna in front of the Khammam depot.

The striking RTC workers took out rallies in all depots within the district. Many areas witnessed fallouts between the police and workers.

Tension prevailed for a while at all the RTC bus depots in Warangal as the striking RTC employees staged protest demonstrations with opposition party leaders on Monday. Former minister and senior Congress party leader Ponnala Lakshmaiah staged a protest at Jangaon bus stand while District Congress Committee president Naini Rajender Reddy and MLA D Anasuya joined the protests in Warangal city. Lakshmaiah accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of being indifferent to the plights of employees and said the TRS party used the services of all employees to gain its strength during the Telangana statehood movement.

The Warangal region, that operates over 940 buses daily with about 4,200 permanent employees, could render only 80 per cent of the services with the hired employees.