Son of late Telangana bus driver receives government job after protest tragedy

UPDATE - follow-up to Deceased TGSRTC driver's son gets job: Hemanth Goud received a letter of appointment from Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and TGSRTC Chairman Y. Nagi Reddy on Thursday.

Background

His father, K. Shankar Goud, worked as a driver at the Narasampet bus depot and passed away from burn injuries after an immolation attempt during the TGSRTC workers' strike in April 2026. After the incident, medical staff first took him to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal before shifting him to Hyderabad for critical care.

Reaction

Following the tragedy, the Telangana government promised financial support and employment to the grieving family. Mr. Prabhakar praised the RTC staff for raising funds to support the family and noted that returning lost items worth lakhs showed the high integrity of transport workers. The minister also warned that physical attacks on staff will not be tolerated and urged workers to report issues or indiscipline to senior officers.

Context

State-run transport corporations like TGSRTC often face labour tensions and strikes over employee welfare and working conditions. Public sector employers sometimes provide compassionate appointments to dependents when workers die in tragic circumstances during industrial disputes.