Public road transport services in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana resumed on Wednesday as employees of the state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) called off their eight-day strike.
This followed after the governments of the two states accepted the demand of the employees for 43 percent increase in wages.
Going a step forward, the Telangana government announced 44 percent hike. Andhra Pradesh offered 43 percent increase.
About 20,000 buses returned to the roads after eight days, providing relief to commuters in the two states.
The breakthrough came after Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao held talks with leaders of employees’ unions in the state.
The cabinet sub-committee of Andhra Pradesh also held talks with the striking employees.
Addressing a news conference, the chief minister said the revised wages would come into effect from June.
Rao said as the Centre has 33 percent equity in the transport corporation, he would write to it to share the burden on account of pay revision.
He said the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would also pay Rs.200 crore towards subsidy on bus fares in the state capital.