Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Public Transport Department (APPTD–APSRTC) Employees Union have renewed their demand for the resolution of long-pending staff grievances and issued an ultimatum to the State government: address the issues by August 27 (Vinayaka Chaviti) or face a united, Statewide protest along with other public transport unions.
In a statement on Wednesday, Employees Union State president P. Damodara Rao and general secretary G.V. Narasayya said that the problems of RTC employees—merged into the government service five years ago—were worsening by the day.
They alleged that leave encashment dues for retired employees and the families of those who died in service have been pending since 2022. Gratuity payments have not been cleared since December 2024, while the 11th PRC arrears for 24 months, pending Dearness Allowance, and four additional DA instalments remain unpaid.
The leaders also criticised the inordinate delay in promotions, saying none had been granted in the past five years. They recalled that the union had organised Statewide protests on July 4 and 5, but the government had remained unresponsive.
On another contentious issue, the union opposed the government’s decision to hand over prime APSRTC land in the heart of Vijayawada—estimated to be worth ₹400 crore—to the UAE-based LuLu Group for the construction of a shopping mall.
Union leaders said meetings have been held in 20 districts to build support for a sustained agitation, with sessions in the remaining six districts scheduled for August 17 to finalise their strategy. They warned that if the government failed to respond by Vinayaka Chaviti, the employees would launch a massive, Statewide protest.
Published – August 13, 2025 05:52 pm IST
