Telangana Government announces 2.5% DA hike for RTC employees

Hyderabad: Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has announced a 2.5% Dearness Allowance (DA) increase for RTC employees, which will come into effect tomorrow, coinciding with International Women's Day. This hike will add an extra financial burden of ₹3.6 crore per month on the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation.

The DA increase, a proposal from Minister Prabhakar, aims to address the growing pressure on RTC employees due to the rising number of passengers. The government has also been focusing on women’s empowerment through various initiatives.

As part of its ongoing efforts to empower women economically, the Telangana Government will launch the Indira Mahila Sakthi Buses tomorrow. The initiative aims to provide women with more opportunities for financial independence.

In the first phase, 150 buses will be introduced on a rental basis through Mandal Mahila Samakhya Sanghams. A total of 600 buses will eventually be operated under a partnership with women's associations. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will launch the buses tomorrow.

These buses will be distributed across 150 Mandals, with each Mandal Women’s Association owning one bus. The pilot project will begin in the old unified districts of Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, and Mahbubnagar, where women’s associations have already been involved.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar also acknowledged the hard work of RTC employees, who have faced increased pressure due to a surge in passengers. Since the launch of the Mahalakshmi scheme, around 150 crore women have traveled for free, contributing to a rise in daily female passengers by about 14 lakhs.

The introduction of the Indira Mahila Sakthi buses is aimed at alleviating the demand for public transportation, especially for female passengers, while simultaneously promoting women’s involvement in the transport sector. This is the first time in India that women’s associations will be allowed to lease buses to RTC, empowering them to become owners of the vehicles.