APSRTC employees’ JAC to continue agitation over e-bus issue

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of APSRTC Employees’ Unions has decided to continue its agitation, stating that the draft minutes issued by the authorities do not contain any clear assurance on the operation of electric buses or the reopening of the four closed depots.

As part of the second phase of the agitation, JAC leaders will meet public representatives and submit memoranda seeking support for their movement. They will also conduct a signature campaign involving APSRTC employees from July 14 to 19. The signatures will be submitted to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as part of a representation during the Grievance Day programme scheduled for July 27. The JAC will convene a meeting of APSRTC employees’ unions in Vijayawada on July 30 to announce the third phase of the agitation.

The decisions were taken at an emergency online meeting of the APSRTC Employees’ JAC State Executive on Sunday.

JAC conveners Y. Srinivasa Rao and Palisetti Damodara Rao said the committee had submitted a memorandum containing 30 demands to the APSRTC management on June 11. These included reopening the four depots that had been closed for the operation of electric buses and raising concerns over the adverse impact of operating electric buses through private operators on APSRTC, its employees and passengers.

They said several rounds of discussions had been held with officials, including Special Chief Secretary (Transport, Roads and Buildings) M.T. Krishna Babu, APSRTC Managing Director Balasubramanyam and other senior officials.

However, they said the draft minutes shared by the authorities on Saturday did not provide any concrete assurance on the JAC’s key demands, particularly the reopening of the four closed depots. Consequently, the State Executive unanimously resolved at its emergency meeting on Sunday to go ahead with the second phase of the agitation as announced earlier.

The meeting was attended by JAC co-conveners P.V. Ramana Reddy, G.V. Narasayya, C.H. Sundarayya, Katta Subrahmanyam, S.V. Seshagiri Rao, K. Suryaprakasa Rao and D. Malyadri, besides 36 members of the APSRTC JAC State Executive, who deliberated on the future course of the agitation.