Hyderabad: TRS secretary general Dr K. Keshava Rao on Tuesday said that he has not received any permission from the state government to hold talks with the striking RTC workers so far.
During an informal chitchat with the media at Telangana Bhavan, he said that he has been unable to contact Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao though he has tried.
Maintaining that he had never said that he would hold talks with the RTC trade unions, Mr. Rao said, “The issue of strike relates to the state government and the party is not concerned with the strike and it is for the government to take a call on the issue. Though I have never spoken of having talks with the RTC staff, I am ready talk with them if the chief minister directs me to hold talks in the interest of public good.”
He said that his personal opinion is that the merger of the RTC with the state government would not be possible, but if the government wants to merge with RTC, he will not have any objection.
Dr Rao pointed out that he did not have any idea of the intention of the state government with regard to the RTC strike and if the government spells out its intention, the issue will be solved.
He said that he came forward and gave a statement as he was moved by the suicides of the RTC workers and with that he felt that the situation appeared to be going out of hand.
Stating that he is a socialist, Dr Rao said that he will always be on the workers’ side, not on the state’s side.
