Telangana bus conductor faces probe for Facebook posts criticising RTC policies

HYDERABAD: Like its Andhra Pradesh counterpart, which has been trying to gag the social media for the past few months, the state government too seems to have begun taking stringent action against those who criticise it on social media platforms and messaging apps like Whatsapp. Days after warning by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that stern action would be initiated against those who ridicule the policies of the government on social networking sites and who undertake negative campaign against the government, a TSRTC conductor belonging to Nizamabad-I bus depot has been asked to explain about his posts on social media.

Alleging that the conductor D Sanjeev has been making adverse comments against the CM and the policies of the TSRTC on Facebook, the vigilance and security office of the corporation has launched a probe into the posts of the conductor.Sanjeev appeared before the enquiry officer on October 6 and action is pending against him. When contacted, Sanjeev, who is also the state secretary of CITU affiliated Staff and Workers Union,  told Express that he posted his opinions against the policies of the RTC management.  

In some of his posts, Sanjeev criticised that though the RTC management is forcing the employees to work for 16 hours a day, they are not given an off the next day. "The government claims that it had given Rs 250 crore to the RTC from the GHMC but in reality, RTC did not get a single paisa," another Facebook post read. Sources said the RTC officials took serious view of these posts, the vigilance and security wing was asked to initiate action against the posts.

Subsequently, the vigilance wing shot off a letter to the Nizamabad-I depot manager who served the notice on the conductor asking him to appear before the V&SO, Karimangar zone on October 6.
“I had appeared before the enquiry officer and presented my version. I am waiting for further action from them,’’ Sanjeev said.When contacted TSRTC Nizamabad regional manager K S Khan said an enquiry was initiated independently by the vigilance and security wing and they have no role in it.