NO MONEY TO PAY SEPT SALARIES: TSRTC TO HC

State-owned Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) told the Telangana High Court that it has no money to pay salaries for September to the employees, whose indefinite strike continued on 17th day on Monday. The TSRTC informed Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili that the public utility requires Rs 239 crore to pay the salaries to over 48,000 employees while it currently has only Rs 7.49 crore.

TSRTC incharge Managing Director Sunil Sharma, in his counter-affidavit, told the court that the strike has resulted in loss of Rs 125 crore during the Dasara season.

The court was told the TSRTC was running in losses and dependent on the government to pay salaries to the staff.

The organisation submitted this during the hearing on a petition by National Mazdoor Union, seeking direction to the TSRTC and the state government to pay salaries for the month of September to all the employees.

According to the affidavit, the company's annual income last year was Rs 4,882 crore while the expenditure was Rs 5,811 crore. It had outstanding loans of Rs 4,709 crore and arrears to the tune of Rs 1,660 crore were payable to the employees. The court was also informed that the salaries of the employees were hiked by 67 per cent since the formation of Telangana state. They were given 44 per cent fitment in June 2015, which imposed a burden of Rs 900 crore annually. In July 2018, 16 per cent interim relief was provided to the employees at an additional cost of Rs 200 crore. The incharge MD submitted to the court that the employees illegally went on strike when their demands were being discussed at the Labour Department. He said though the government gave an assurance that it will strengthen thecorporation, the employees still went on strike, causing hardship to people.