BS Yediyurappa talks tough against state owned transport employees' stir

In a stern message to the striking employees of road transport corporations, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said the state government was not ready to accept any of their conditions and warned of stringent action against them.

Speaking to reporters in Bidar, the chief minister said, "Don't ask me about the transport employees' strike. We will not accept any of their conditions under any circumstances."

Noting that his government has already fulfilled eight of their demands, Yediyurappa said the adamant posture of the employees is causing trouble to the people of the state.


"The employees have to give up their obdurate stand. We will not give salaries to those who remained absent from their job. We will take more stringent action," the CM said.

The strike by the RTC workers on wage related issues entered the 7th day on Tuesday even as the transport corporations struggled hard to operate buses, which a few miscreants damaged.

According to a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation official, 2,299 buses including 262 Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses were operated in the state on Tuesday.

The official said 54 buses were damaged allegedly by the employees.

So far 72 FIRs have been registered in connection with the damage to 36 buses by 10 am today.

As many as 115 employees were involved in vandalism of which 19 have been arrested, he said in a statement.