Reports added the Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Wednesday approved the decision to merge the debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) with the state government, creating a Public Transport Department for the state. Meanwhile with the merger, more than 50,000 employees of APSRTC, who have been demanding better job security for years, will now be treated on par with state government employees.
Furthermore Andhra Pradesh Minister of Transport Perni Venkataramaiah said that the decision was taken in accordance with the recommendations submitted by an expert committee led by Anjaneya Reddy, a former IPS officer who had also served as a managing director of APSRTC and the merger had been approved by Chief Minister jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday, following a meeting with members of the Anjaneya Reddy committee.
Moreover he added that the status of contract workers with APSRTC will remain the same after the merger. Apparently jagan Mohan Reddy, during his election campaign, had promised to merge the APSRTC with the state government. Perhaps after coming to power in May, he formed two panels, including an experts' panel, to study the issue and make recommendations. Further the APSRTC had accumulated losses of Rs. 6,373 crore and hence the government proposes to run more electric buses to control the losses.
