Hyderabad: It was a dull and drab Dussehra for the 48,000 RTC employees, who have not been paid their salaries for the last 50 days, and have been dismissed from service.
The employees say they lead a hand-to-mouth existence, with no fixed income.
“There is no Dasara for us; we don’t have the money to celebrate it,” S. Babu of the TSRTC told Deccan Chronicle.
His sentiments were echoed by other RTC workers, who say the corporation owes them salaries for the last 50 days.
“It has been 50 days since we got paid. Usually, our salaries are credited on the first of every month. But this time nothing has happened,” said Jyothi, who worked as a conductor in the corporation.
The employees say their dismissal from service is completely unconstitutional.
“India is a democracy and the people have a right to voice their dissent. If we are fired for that purpose, then it shows that we can have no faith in it (democracy). Also, the state government has been saying that the corporation was plush with funds. If that is the case, why were we terminated from service?” questioned Namala Krishna, zonal president (Greater Hyderabad) , Telangana Mazdoor Union.
He added that there was no intimation that they would be removed from service, and no prior notice.
“The government should have given us some sort of warning call, not just fired us,” he added.
