Hyderabad, Oct 9 (IANS) — Tension gripped parts of Hyderabad on Thursday as leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) marched to Bus Bhavan, the head office of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC), demanding the rollback of the recent hike in bus fares.
BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, senior leader T. Harish Rao, and several other party members led the protest march despite heavy police deployment. Police tried to stop the leaders and party workers at multiple locations, leading to brief tense moments before allowing a delegation to proceed.
K.T. Rama Rao, along with former ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Padma Rao, and Sabitha Indra Reddy, travelled in an RTC bus from Rathifile Bus Stop to Bus Bhavan, while Harish Rao and other leaders arrived from Mehdipatnam. Upon reaching Bus Bhavan, the delegation submitted a memorandum to TGSRTC Managing Director Y. Nagi Reddy.
Addressing the media, Rama Rao accused the state government of attempting to privatise TGSRTC. “The government pushed the corporation into losses by implementing the free bus travel scheme for women without compensating it. Now it is burdening the public to cover those losses,” he said.
He also criticised the fare hike, noting that charges for men had doubled and children’s bus pass rates were increased by 25 per cent. “The government weakened Hyderabad Metro by driving out L&T and is now trying to do the same to TGSRTC,” he alleged.
Earlier in the day, BRS leaders claimed that K.T. Rama Rao, Harish Rao, and several others were placed under house arrest to prevent the protest, as police surrounded their residences since morning.
The TGSRTC had increased bus fares from October 6, citing the need to fund expansion of the city’s electric bus infrastructure.
