KCR
Ruling out any further negotiations, KCR announced that only 1,200 employees are now left in TSRTC.IANS

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said on Monday, October 7, that 48,000 employees have self-dismissed and were not fired. Only 1.200 employees will be left in TSRTC.

"It is an unpardonable crime that they went on a strike during the festive season and at a time when the TSRTC was incurring a huge loss of Rs. 1,200 crore and its debt burden had gone up to Rs. 5,000 crore," KCR was quoted as saying by IANS.

The 48,000 employees had gone on strike demanding that the corporation merge with the government, which KCR ruled out, making it clear that he was not for the complete privatization of the corporation. On October 5, he had given the protesting employees time till 5 pm for them to go back to work or face dire consequences.

The striking employees had refused to end their protest by the government's deadline and only 1,200 employees returned to work.

"Except for the 1,200 employees, anyone else coming to the depots or offices will be stopped and strict action will be taken against them by the police if they create any law and order situation," KCR had said.

He added, "As those who did not report for work are no longer considered employees, now there is no question about the existence of unions. In future, there will no longer be any union activity in TSRTC."

According to the Times of India, KCR said that he did not want to privatize the corporation but will make sure that it makes profits and employees receive bonuses as well.

TSRTC will be operated in a way that it will yield profits. Discipline will be important," he said.