APSRTC JAC demands cancellation of e-bus tenders awarded to private firms

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of APSRTC employees’ unions on Thursday demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Government cancel the tenders awarded to the private operators for running electric buses. The government should procure and operate the buses through the APSRTC, the JAC said.

JAC conveners Y. Srinivasa Rao and Palisetti Damodara Rao said representations were submitted to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Secretary, Transport Department, M. T. Krishna Babu and APSRTC management, highlighting several demands.

The major demands included filling 10,000 vacant posts, purchasing 4,000 new buses, resolving issues arising from the Stree Shakti scheme, clearing pending PRC and DA arrears, announcing four pending DAs and Interim Relief (IR) and immediate constitution of the 12th Pay Revision Commission (PRC).

The leaders said that if the government did not withdraw its decision of handing over electric buses to private operators, the APSRTC employees would launch phased agitation programmes across the State.

As part of this, preparatory conferences would be held in Vizianagaram, Vijayawada, Nellore, Tirupati, and Anantapur, between June 16 and 20, they said.

The JAC leaders expressed concern that the government was attempting to hand over valuable depot lands along with electric bus operations to private agencies, which could lead to the gradual privatisation of APSRTC. They demanded the reopening of depots vacated for private electric bus operators and opposed any further transfer of RTC assets.

They emphasised that the APSRTC should be strengthened through increased fleet strength and staff recruitment rather than privatisation.

As part of the agitation, employees will wear red ribbons and hold gate meetings and stage protests at all depots and units across the State on June 23 and 24. A State-level JAC meeting will be held in Vijayawada on June 28 to decide future course of action, they added.