RTI Activists Allege TGSRTC Withholding Financial Data

Hyderabad: Activists have intensified allegations that TGSRTC has not publicly disclosed details about revenue, expenditure and reimbursements. They also alleged that the TGSRTC management has not responded to their Right to Information (RTI) applications for the last four years.

Activists alleged that even information regarding Mahalakshmi’s government dues under the free bus scheme for women was not disclosed. However, TGSRTC management said: Deccan Chronicle It was stated that approximately 80 percent of the dues under the scheme were paid by the government and most RTI applications were responded to with the sought information.

Former RTC board director M. Nageswara Rao alleged that the then senior management ignored the Right to Information Act. “I have sent more than 100 RTI applications to the RTC seeking detailed information on issues such as government announcements, loans taken by the company and mortgages on RTC lands and properties. I have not received a response to any of them,” he said.

He alleged that RTC, a public sector organisation, had not published details of its income, expenses, profits, losses and loans for the last four years and had kept its financial affairs secret.

Telangana Mazdoor Union’s TGSRTC general secretary Maramreddy Thomas Reddy claimed that the management and the government were acting together. He said that the promises made by the current government have not been fulfilled. He also alleged that refunds under the Mahalakshmi scheme and other heads were pending and about ₹2,700 crore was allegedly paid to the RTC from the government, which he said was the reason why the accounts were not made public.

The union stated that employees and retirees suffered due to the delay in their financial aid and demanded the payment of all pending dues from the government. He also demanded that the account statements be immediately disclosed to employees and the public.

Responding to the allegations, TGSRTC officials said that most of the RTI applications have been responded to and specific complaints will be verified. They reiterated that majority of the dues under the Mahalakshmi scheme have already been refunded by the state government.