Hyderabad: Telangana Bhartiya Janat Oarty (BJP) unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday suspected the privatisation of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) amid hike in bus fares.
Taking a dig at chief minister K Chandrashekhara Rao (KCR), Kumar said that the chief minister wants to shutdown the corporation and hand it over to his family members. The BJP leader interacted with a few passengers and TSRTC staff who were protesting at the Jubilee Bus stand in Secunderabad.
Telangana: Bandi Sanjay barred from protesting TSRTC fare hike
He interacted with the TSRTC staff to understand the issues they were facing due to the government’s decision. Addressing the media at the protest site, the Karimnagar MP said, “Before KCR came to power, the RTC has a fleet of 10,000 buses in 2014. Now, it has been reduced to 6,000 buses. Earlier, there used to be just around 1,200 private buses. But that number has now increased to 3,000.”
Telangana BJP chief further observed that as per Road Transport Corporations Act, there should not be more than 20 percent of private buses. “There are about 50 percent private buses in Telangana now, “he remarked.
Kumar further questioned the government over imposition of diesel cess even after the Centre has reduced the excise duty on petrol and diesel by 15 and17 respectively in six months.
Bandi Sanjay placed under house arrest
Earlier on Friday, the Karimnagar MP was placed under house arrest ahead of the BJP’s protest against hike in bus fare by the Telangana government. Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers at the leaders residence, preventing him from participating in the protest.
