Hyderabad, April 24: The Telangana government has announced a financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for the family of Shankar Goud, a driver with the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC).
Shankar Goud tragically set himself on fire during an ongoing strike by TGRTC employees. Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar also revealed plans to provide a house under the ‘Indiramma Scheme’ and a job for one eligible family member.
The minister urged the leaders of the TGRTC Joint Action Committee (JAC) to ensure that the funeral is conducted peacefully. He also requested opposition parties not to politicize the issue and to support the family during this challenging time.
Shankar Goud self-immolated on Thursday at the Narsampet depot in Warangal district during a protest. He suffered burns over 80% of his body and succumbed to his injuries at Apollo DRDO Hospital in Hyderabad early Friday morning.
Family members and TGRTC employees attempted to take his body to the Narsampet depot for a tribute, but police intervened, leading to heightened tensions in the Muthojipet area of Narsampet.
Leaders from opposition parties, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expressed their support for the deceased’s family and TGRTC employees.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs B. Sanjay Kumar visited Muthojipet to support the driver’s family. He questioned the police about their objections to transporting the body to the Narsampet depot and urged them to respect the family’s wishes.
He criticized the police for preventing TGRTC employees from taking the body to the depot, emphasizing that Shankar Goud had served there for 22 years and that his colleagues wanted to pay their respects.
After discussions between police officials, Shankar Goud’s family, and JAC leaders, the family agreed to proceed with the funeral without taking the body to the depot, which helped ease the tense situation.
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