Driver, conductor beaten up in Mahbubnagar

Hyderabad: On Wednesday, few of the RTC employees on strike turned violent and thrashed a bus driver and assaulted a woman conductor who had reported for work in Mahbubnagar. The employees forced the driver and conductor to get off the bus and then beat them up. A heavy police contingent rescued the driver and conductor.

In Komaram Bheem, Asifabad district, a driver suffered fits and veered the bus to the side of the road bringing it to a halt before his situation worsened. There were 50 passengers. Zilla Parishad chairperson Kova Lakshmi who was passing by, stopped her vehicle and called up the police and 108, following which the driver was rushed to a hospital.

At many depots, including Karimnagar and Mahbubnagar, employees gathered in large numbers after CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s deadline for them to join duty expired.

In Warangal, RTC authorities had to refuse permission to 30 employees who wanted to join work as they had either been suspended or removed from service. In Bhanswada, several RTC workers were arrested after they resorted to a rasta roko. The situation worsened when many student organisations began protesting the arrest.

Several women conductors and other RTC employees were arrested at Suryapet, as they shouted slogans against the government and KCR. In Nizamabad, employees continued protests. At Bodhan bus depot, the employees said that they would no buckle under pressure from the government.