CM hints at allowing private bus services

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 4. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Sunday hinted at allowing running of private buses, parallel to APSRTC, if not privatisation, saying the Government could not be indifferent to the demands made by people, affected by the ongoing strike.

Asked at a press conference if he would take a fresh initiative to break the deadlock, Mr. Naidu said he did not know but appealed to striking employees to join duty immediately without insisting on the Government conceding more demands as the difficult financial condition of the State did not permit it. The offer made by the Government was the best and it could not go beyond it. The Chief Minister, who appeared anguished at the `adamant' stand taken by Joint Action Committee leaders, called for a debate on whether an outsider, who was neither an employee nor had any stake in the public corporation, could lead the employees union.

Mr. Naidu said people were asking him wherever he was going why should there be monopoly of RTC and why was he not allowing private buses to ply. They were already getting used to travelling by alternative modes of transport owing to the prolonged strike.

``How long do you expect people to tolerate. There is a limit to anything. I apologise to them for the way they are suffering.'' Asked if the public opinion favoured privatisation, would he do it, he first said it was a different matter but added: ``whatever decision we take, the interests of the common man will be uppermost in our minds.'' He said the Government could not give in to all demands made by a section at the expense of people at large. It would have to strike a balance keeping in view the financial situation.

When the Government was finding it difficult to provide funds for scholarships to students of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes and unable to allot house sites and build houses for these sections, would it not be unfair to concede all the demands of a section of a people, he asked.

He said the intention of the JAC and the political leaders behind them appeared to make the Government bend. ``Is it proper? Can the Government take the entire responsibility of providing funds for all unreasonable demands and also of running the RTC? Instead of sorting out all their problems with the Cabinet Sub-Committee, they just come and say they have no confidence in the Committee. What does it mean ? Should I disown my own Committee?'' he asked.

Replying to questions on the debate on outsiders becoming employees union leaders, Mr. Naidu said he was ready to ask his partymen not to take such posts and allow leadership to emerge from among the employees.

The Home Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud, was present.

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Section  : Southern States
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