Speaking at a press meet held at 1 am on Saturday, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, deputy chief minister of Telangana, said that a committee will be formed to start the proposed merger procedure.The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) are set to merge with the state government, as talks between RTC unions and the A Revanth Reddy’s Congress dispensation in the state came to fruition on the third day of the strike.Speaking at a press meet held at 1 am on Saturday, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, deputy chief minister of Telangana, said that a committee will be formed to start the proposed merger procedure. “We have discussed at length and decided that an official committee with government officials and RTC union leaders will be formed to start the merger,” Vikramarka said.The strike called by the TGSRTC Joint Action Committee (JAC) began with employees boycotting duties and keeping thousands of buses off the roads. In Hyderabad, services were suspended at key hubs such as Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Jubilee Bus Station. Police were deployed at bus stations to prevent untoward incidents.Authorities, however, got around 1,000 buses, including 450 electric buses, to ply by temporarily outsourcing the work. In Hyderabad alone, around 3,000 RTC buses ply each day, carrying 26 lakh passengers. Statewide, the corporation operates over 9,300 buses, including about 3,300 hired ones.The TGSRTC Joint Action Committee had been holding discussions with the state government to fulfil election promises, including pay revision, job security and payment of salary dues.“The RTC buses will hit the roads early on April 25 once again. The government has given assurance that our other demands will be met in due course,” said E Venkanna to The Indian Express. “The government has also agreed to the pay revision which we proposed.”The decision comes a day after an RTC driver identified as K Shankar Goud died by suicide. Goud, from Narsampet in Warangal district, was upset with the government not allowing the merger of RTC with the state government, among 32 other demands. He set himself on fire on Thursday in front of the Narsampet bus stand. Goud sustained critical burn injuries and was shifted to a nearby hospital in Warangal.Story continues below this adSeveral RTC services in the country are run by state governments. Telangana will become one among the many southern state road transport corporations to merge with the government. RTCs in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are already part of the government rolls. The government has also recognised the unions and would allow union elections in the near future, officials said.Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:HyderabadTelangana government