The Narketpally bus depot, established in 1932 during the Nizam’s rule, was the State’s second bus depot and the first in Nalgonda district. It provided buses and staff quarters for the convenience of its employees within a 20km radius of the depot. However, government policies on the RTC have pushed the depot towards shutdown, despite its profitability and ranking in the top 10 of all bus depots in the State in terms of revenue growth. Currently, only three RTC buses and 11 hire buses operate from the depot, with 76 staff members.
To preserve its historical significance, the Telangana government has taken measures to continue the depot. However, it has shrunk to only 14 bus services from 67 last year, based on occupancy ratios. The depot officials have proposed constructing a function hall in place of the collapsed staff quarters built by the Nizams to increase revenue for the state RTC.
The Narketpally depot has helped several villagers travel to Mumbai and Surat for their business activities and employment opportunities. The Narketpally-Bombay bus ran for 20 years, and people from Kattangur, Nalgonda, Choutuppal, and Valogonda mandals took advantage of it to earn a good income by carrying out activities such as milk production, weaving, and construction labor work.
Former Narketpally sarpanch, Duimetla Satiah, expressed concern over the shrinking status of the Narketpally depot and urged RTC officials to increase services in the interest of the people. He also requested the restart of the Narketpally-Mumbai service, which would benefit the RTC and settlers in Mumbai, Surat, and surrounding mandals.
The highway outside Narketpally has also impacted the depot, as AP buses, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Kodad, and Miryalguda buses go via the bypass, affecting businesses in Narketpally and leading to the permanent shutdown of the highly profitable Narketpally bus stand canteen.
