Grand I-Day fete at RTC, SCR and RGIA

Hyderabad: The 75 Independence Day was celebrated with festive fervour by TSRTC, South Central Railway and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Monday.

At a function in Bus Bhavan, RTC management felicitated two veterans, Narasimha and Sathaiah, aged 98 and 92 years, who worked in the Nizam state rail and road transport division (NSR-RTD), a part of which is the present TSRTC. Narasimha had joined service in 1944 for a monthly salary of 47 Osmania sikka while Sathaiah joined two years later as a temporary office boy for a monthly salary of eight Osmania sikka.

Earlier, chairman Bajireddy Govardhan, and vice-chairman and managing director C.V. Sajjanar took the guard of honour.

Govardhan said that one DA installment would be added to the salary of more than 45,000 employees in October. A 'heavy vehicles driving manual' which has critical driver education components was released on the occasion.

At the Railway sport complex, SCR in-charge general manager Arun Kumar Jain unfurled the national flag and received the guard of honour.

He said that SCR had carried 78 million passengers and generated Rs 1617 crore revenue in the first four months of the current financial year, registering a growth of 175 per cent in passenger revenue.

Meanwhile, central industrial security force (CISF) personnel distributed 1,000 flags under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign at Shamshabad airport. They took out a cycle rally while some officials demonstrated emergency rescue and protection drills. The CISF dog squad drew praise from the audience.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, hoisted the national flag. The celebrations culminated with cultural programmes by CISF and airport staff. The access road, rotaries and the ATC tower were illuminated with tri-colour lights.

The Telangana Lorry Owners Association, celebrated the historic day with owners and drivers at Champapet.