Political parties demand rollback of RTC bus fare hike in AP

25 September, 2012

Following the hike in diesel prices, the Andhra Pradesh State Roads Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus fare was also increased. The political parties across the state, including the left front and the BJP protested the hike, demanding its rollback, which they claimed will burn a hole in everyone's pocket.

THE ACTIVISTS of all the political parties have protested in their own styles. The TDP held a 'Rasta Roko' while the CPI(M) and CPI protested in front of the RTC regional manager’s office and Collectorate respectively. The protesters set fire to effigies of Chief Minister, Kiran Kumar Reddy. The CPI protest was led by district secrataries, N. Nandyala Narasimha Reddy and M. Adi Reddy.

“The government imposed 9000cr rupees of electricity charges and 350cr rupees of RTC bus charges on the people; this is unbearable to the people and the state government announced this surreptitiously in the middle of the night without the knowledge of the people,” said Raju Vallu, CPI leader of the state. In this Network 1 media video, he also said that the government is the real culprit and it has to bear all the burden.

The left party demanded the immediate withdrawal of RTC charges and they also demanded the reduction of taxes on petrol, diesel and gas, given the fact that taxes on the commodities are highest when compared to other states.

Congress President, Sonia Gandhi had asked the Congress-ruled government to bear the additional burden on this. The state BJP unit said that it is up to the state government to see how to settle it off, but in no way the common man needs to suffer from this burden.

The diesel prices have increased and the Andhra Pradesh bus fare has also been increased. “In the name of the common man they came into power but today the government has shifted the burden of Rs 600cr to the common man and increased the bus fares too much. That is why we are demanding the roll back of prices from the state as well as from the union government, because in the state we have the own state congress government and in the center also,” said Bandaru Dattatreya, BJP leader.

The government has forgotten the common man and is just looking to benefit some sections of the society, because it is the common man who has to travel in buses and walk on roads not the government.