Where there is a will, there is a way, goes the popular adage. If the leader of a government has the will to benefit his employees, nothing is impossible for him.
It was proved by YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He has been fulfilling one after the other all the promises he had made during his marathon 14-month long padayatra covering 3,600 km across the length and breadth of the state when he was in opposition.
One such promise was merger of Andhra Pradesh state road transport corporation (APSRTC) with the government and treat all its employees on par with any other government employees.
Soon after coming to power in May this year, Jagan initiated the process to fulfil this promise. He appointed an experts committee to work out the modalities.
As per the committee recommendations, he quickly announced that all the RTC employees would be merged into the state government by creating a separate department.
Though RTC merger with the government was technically not possible without the Centre’s consent, the employees were absorbed into the government and they were given regular pay scales. What is more, their retirement age was also enhanced from 58 to 60.
This was made possible, because Jagan has the will to do good for the employees. But the same will and commitment are lacking in Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who claims himself to be a man of mass movements.
In fact, before the last elections, KCR said several times on record that RTC employees would be treated like any other government employees and they would get all the benefits of the government staff.
But, now, KCR has completely ignored this demand. He says he has never promised the merger of the RTC with the government. And he is now threatening the employees that he would sack them for striking work.
That is the difference between a man of masses and man of words!