The Hon’ble Governor Tamilisai has sought further Clarifications on the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill:Merger of TSRTC is an emotive issue for the employees who had wanted it earlier.
Tamilisai stated that it is imperative that the Raj Bhavan is not seen as obstructing this long-standing desire which is an emotional issue;
The entire endeavor of the Raj Bhavan is to ensure that every right and provision of the TSRTC employees are protected and will continue to be protected after a future notification is issued by the government as mentioned in Para 4 of the Chief Secretary’s a letter addressing the initial set of concerns;
That the transition should happen smoothly without leaving scope for any future possible legal hurdles;Whether the proposed Bill is robust enough that it addresses these concerns is the main worry of the Honble Governor.
Therefore the Hon’ble Governor of Telangana has sought additional clarifications concerning the draft bill "the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill, 2023." The following clarifications are asked based on interactions with the employees and memoranda received from them regarding the proposed bill.
Concurrence of Government of India: The Hon’ble Governor wants to know if the State Government has obtained the concurrence of the Government of India concerning the 30% stake of the Government of India, as mentioned in the Government’s reply. If the concurrence has been obtained, a copy of the same is to be provided. If not, the steps taken by the State Government to ensure legal compliance are to be furnished.
Number of Permanent and temporary Employees: The total number of permanent employees, categorized by their respective categories and depots, needs to be provided. Additionally, the number of employees working on a contract, casual, or any other basis other than permanent status, categorized by their respective categories and depots, is also required.
Mechanism for Non-Permanent Employees: Details about the proposed legal regime in respect of non-permanent employees are to be furnished.
Handling of Corporation's Properties: As it is stated that the corporation will continue to exist, the Hon’ble Governor inquires if the movable and immovable properties of the corporation will continue to remain with the corporation or if the Government of Telangana will take over any of these properties, specifically referring to the lands and buildings belonging to the Corporation.
Authority to Operate Buses: The clarification sought pertains to the authority responsiblefor operating the fleet of buses. If the employees are absorbed as Governmentservants, it needs to be clarified who will be responsible for controlling their functioning and assigning duties for running the fleet. Additionally, the role of the Corporation in this regard is to be specified, with a focus on the interests of the employees and daily commuters.
Employee Status and Arrangements: It is requested to clarify if the employees, once absorbed into Government service, will continue to work in the Corporation on deputation or any other similar arrangements.
The State Government has been urged to provide the necessary clarifications on the above-mentioned points at the earliest.
These clarifications will enable the Hon’ble Governor to make an informed decision regarding the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill.
