Injured APRTC conductor gets justice after over decade-long legal battle

VIJAYAWADA: Finally, after more than a decade-long legal battle, Ch Rajeswara Rao, a bus conductor from  Gannavaram in Krishna district got justice. The Andhra Pradesh High Court directed the APSRTC to pay the salary along with increment due to him from 2001 to 2007 in two months time with 6% simple annual interest.

Delivering the judgment in the case two days ago, Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari said it was the responsibility of the APSRTC management to provide an alternative equivalent post with same salary and perks to the conductor who was disabled in an accident while discharging his duty, instead of leaving him to his fate after the accident. He said in case there was no such post, a supernumerary post has to be created.

The court said the petitioner not discharging his duties from 2001 to 2007 was not his fault, but that of APSRTC management which failed to crate an alternative post for him to function. It was not proper for the APSRTC to stop his salary and perks for that period.

Rajeswara Rao was injured in an accident and the doctors removed two discs from his spinal cord by performing a surgery. Following it, the APSRTC retired Rajeswara Rao from service in 2001.