Hyderabad: Maulana Ashraf has been an employee with the TSRTC for 26 years. He, like his colleagues on strike since October 5, was disbelieving of the state government’s claim that it does not have money for his salary. “It is pure nonsense,” he said. “The government is spewing lies.”
The government had on Monday told the High Court it had only Rs 7 crore and could not pay September’s salaries. It said `239 crore would pay everyone’s salaries.
Thousands of longtime employees of TSRTC gathered at Jubilee Bus Station in Secunderabad to conduct a Vanta Varpu (cook-and-squat protest). The seething protesters jumped at the prospect of criticising the government to the media. “How can they not pay us for September? We did not even go on strike that month. The government is lying to the court,” said one employee.
Several numbers were thrown around with respect to the money needed to pay salaries. One employee claimed only `1.05 crore was needed. He was quickly corrected by a colleague who said the figure was actually `105 crore. They were adamant that the TSRTC itself had made so much for the state government, it was impossible to run out of money.
“The management was willing to pay us our salaries up until the beginning of October, before we went on strike. This means it still had the necessary money with it,” asked an employee.
Despite the setback, the spirit of the employees didn’t seem to have been dented. In the backdrop of speeches by politicians comparing Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to the Nizams, the employees said it was they who achieved Telangana and not the TRS. “During the Telangana agitation, we were on strike for nearly three months. None of us were paid during this time, but we managed. Fighting for our rights is not something we are afraid of,” said Prakash, a driver with 22 years under his belt.
Others were not so confident. “I only know how to drive. I am 42 years old. I won’t be able to get a job anywhere else. My family is with me for now, but their patience is running thin. How can KCR remove me like that,” wondered an employee from Hakimpet depot.
