Even as the talks between the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the striking RTC unions make little headway, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said considering the current financial health of the corporation, there was no way such a demand could be conceded. He, however, added that he was hopeful of arriving at a mutually agreeable solution during Monday’s meeting.
Mr. Aswadhama Reddy of TMU maintained that this was a do-or-die situation for the employees who were eagerly awaiting the pay hike for the past 25 months. He said the talks were cordial, but the government was firm on not yielding to the employees’ demand. By Sunday evening, there were reports that 62 per cent of scheduled services were operated in AP, while it was 37 per cent in Telangana, according to Joint Managing Director G.V. Ramana Rao. Asked about how many conductors and drivers working on contract had reported for work and been given regularisation orders, he said the trickle had started and that they were hopeful of a sizeable number joining duty in the next 24 to 36 hours.
SCR specials
Meanwhile, the South Central Railway operated eight special trains of the Multi-Modal Transit Service on the Secunderabad-Lingampalli sector from 9.15 a.m. onwards on Sunday in view of the APSRTC strike.
It also ran four Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) specials on Kacheguda-Nizamabad and Malkajgiri-Miryalguda sectors.
This apart, SCR announced two specials between Hyderabad and Kakinada Port on May 11 and 12.
Accordingly, no. 07053 will leave here at 11.40 p.m. on May 11 (Monday), to reach its destination at 1.55 p.m. the next day. In the return direction, no. 07054 will leave Kakinada Port at 3.30 p.m. on May 12 (Tuesday) and reach Hyderabad at 5.15 a.m. the next day.
En route, these specials will stop at Secunderabad, Nalgonda, Miryalguda, Nadikude, Piduguralla, Sattanapalle, Guntur, Mangalgiri, Vijayawada, Gudivada, Kaikaluru, Akivedu, Bhimavaram Town, Tanuku, Nidadavolu, Kovuru, Rajahmundry, Dwarapudi, Samalkot and Kakinada Town stations, said a railway release.
