Telangana Congress pledges support for auto drivers; heated debate erupts in Assembly

Hyderabad: Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar assured the legislative house on Friday that the Congress government is committed to addressing the concerns of auto drivers in the state.

During the discussion in the house on the motion of thanksgiving to the Governor’s speech, Prabhakar highlighted the government’s efforts in providing free bus travel for 15 crore women in RTC buses since coming to power, amounting to bus fares worth Rs 530 crores per month.

He questioned the sincerity of the previous BRS regime, criticizing their failure to provide the proposed financial assistance during their tenure. Minister Ponnam accused BRS leaders of exploiting auto drivers, leading to suicides and undermining the welfare of RTC workers. He defended the government’s provision of free bus travel for women and criticized the opposition for objecting to the facility.

In his speech, BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy emphasized the hard-fought victory for Telangana and accused the Congress of making false claims in the Governor’s speech. He called for the recognition of RTC employees as government workers and criticized the government’s failure to fulfill promises, especially regarding the farmer’s loan waiver.

The debate escalated with accusations of lies in the Governor’s speech, contrasting promises with actual implementation. Rajeshwar Reddy demanded compensation for the families of auto drivers who took their lives, revealing that 21 suicides occurred in the last two months. The session witnessed heated exchanges between Congress and BRS leaders.