Hyderabad: K Shankar Goud, a driver with the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) from Narsampet in Warangal district, who set himself on fire on Thursday, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Hyderabad early Friday morning.
As the RTC workers' strike entered its third day, with ongoing talks between unions and the state government, another driver attempted suicide at the Bhupalpally depot in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. Varikolu Ravinder allegedly consumed pesticide after taking part in a protest on Thursday night. He was rushed to MGM Hospital in Warangal. He is currently stable but will be kept under observation for 48 hours, said Dr P Harish Chandra Reddy, hospital superintendent. Ravinder has been employed with the RTC for about ten years.
Meanwhile, the condition of G Linga Reddy from the Bhadrachalam depot in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, who consumed paraquat on the second day of the strike, remained critical on Friday. Family members said the driver will be shifted from a private hospital in Khammam to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad for better care. He has shown no improvement since Thursday. Doctors said the poison has spread to different parts of his body. We were hoping for improvement after dialysis, but he remains critical, said Linga Reddy's daughter, Swapna Reddy. She added that the incident occurred around 5 pm on Thursday after he returned home from the depot following a protest. He did not even enter the house. He sat in an empty plot next to our home and consumed paraquat, she said.
Another driver, Venkanna from Miryalaguda in Nalgonda, who attempted to set himself on fire on Thursday, is safe after colleagues and police intervened before he could light a matchstick.
Speaking to TOI after Shankar Goud's death, his son-in-law B Suman said Goud was already critical when being moved from MGM Hospital to Hyderabad. Doctors said his pulse was weak and put him on a ventilator. He passed away around 2.30 am. His body was shifted to Narsampet for final rites.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over Goud's death. The state government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh for the family. Goud's death triggered tension not only at his home depot but also at major RTC hubs across Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana, with protesting drivers criticizing the government for failing to meet their demands. Workers took such extreme steps because they are worried about their jobs. Instead of resolving our issues, the government issued notifications to recruit temporary staff to keep services running during the strike, said a union leader.
