TSRTC driver succumbs to burns; strike enters 9th day

Hyderabad: A 55-year-old TSRTC driver died on Sunday, a day after he set himself ablaze, even as the strike by the transport employees in Telangana entered the ninth day.

D Srinivas Reddy, who was part of the group of employees on a state-wide strike for the last nine days, died of burn injuries, hospital sources here said. The driver had doused himself with kerosene and set himself ablaze near his house in Khammam, about 190 km from here, reportedly in protest against the government not acceding to the demands of striking employees.

However police said they were investigating the reason behind his suicide.

As news about Reddy's death spread, a large number of striking employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation gathered near the hospital, but police at the spot whisked them away in police vehicles. Protests also broke out in different parts of the city and other places, with employees raising slogans and holding the state government responsible for Reddy's death.

The employees have been on strike since the last nine days, demanding merger of RTC with the government and recruitment to various posts, among others. Reddy, who had suffered around 90 per cent burn injuries, was shiftedto a hospital here on Saturday night from Khammam andsuccumbed at around noon on Sunday.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy condoled the death and said the incident has pained him very much. "Suicide is not the solution. Nobody should resort to such steps in future," he said.

Reddy urged the Telangana Government to resolve the RTC strike issue amicably by holding talks with the unions.

He also extended his condolences to the bereaved family.

Leaders of the opposition Congress and BJP in Telangana also condoled Reddy's death and conveyed their condelences to the bereaved family members. Nearly 48,000 workers of employees and workers unions of TSRTC began an indefinite strike from October 5 on a call by the Joint Action Committee of TSRTC.

On Sunday, Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao alleged that some political parties were provoking the union leaders and claimed it was a "political conspiracy" against the government.

"Congress or BJP did nothing for RTC employees. Did any BJP government in other states merge their state transport corporations? Parties should stop the dramas," he said.

Minister for BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Gangula Kamalakar alleged that political parties were instigating the unions for their political gains.

He cautioned the workers not to fall prey to such vicious attempts and added that the government had never said it would privatise RTC.