4 days ago
Union opposes RTC lands to Lulu Group
Kurnool: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Employees' Union has demanded that the state government withdraw its decision to allot prime RTC lands in Vijayawada to Lulu Shopping mall. Addressing a press conference at the AITUC office here on Monday, Employees' Union district secretary A V Reddy criticised the move, calling it detrimental to public transport services and beneficial only to corporate interests.
Reddy pointed out that the Governorpet 1 & 2 depots and the old bus stand premises, together measuring about 4.15 acre in the heart of Vijayawada, are valued at nearly Rs 400 crore.
He alleged that, instead of safeguarding these assets that have served the public for decades, the government is seeking to hand them over to a private shopping mall operator through GO No 137. 'These depots house around 200 buses and employ about 1,100 workers. This decision will displace them and inconvenience thousands of passengers,' he said. Recalling the history of the land, the union leader said that the old bus stand site was purchased in 1959 by APSRTC at a rate of Rs 16 per square yard, amounting to about Rs 4.6 lakh, with the sole intention of serving public transport needs.
He accused the present coalition government of betraying that purpose by leasing the land to big business interests. AITUC city secretary G Chandrasekhar, district president Ch Rangaswamy, district working president S A Basha and others were present at the press conference.
The union leaders warned that if the government does not reverse its decision, APSRTC workers across the state will launch large-scale protests.
