Depts owe Rs 30 crore to state Transport Corp

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 5

Several populist schemes announced by the previous Congress government to provide free rides in buses to citizens of Uttarakhand has left a whopping unpaid bill of Rs 30 crore for the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation.

The situation has come to such a pass that the Transport Corporation has written to the various government departments, demanding reimbursement of these bills.

“At various meetings, I have raised this issue over and over again. The situation has gone worse in the last one-and-a-half years, when several schemes were launched to provide free rides in our buses,” said BK Sant, Commissioner, Transport Corporation.

With an eye on the elections, the corporation was made to bear the expenses of several schemes launched during the previous Congress government regime in the state.

Under the Mere Teerath Mere Buzarg scheme, senior citizens were ferried free to pilgrimage places located in the state. The entire cost was to be borne by the Department of Tourism, but it failed to pay the amount due to the Transport Corporation.

Similarly, to win over women voters, the free bus travel facility was extended to women who could travel in any part of the state like for meeting their brothers on the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Another populist scheme announced by the previous Congress government was for girl students of the state. They could avail free to-and-fro bus travel to their schools that fell within a 20-km radius of their houses in all the districts of state. “We will write to the various departments who came up with these schemes to reimburse these travel bills. It will be difficult for the Transport Corporation to endure the burden of populist schemes,” added BS Sant.

Further, the roadway buses also provide the free bus travel facility to senior citizens, journalists, freedom fighters, statehood activists and physically challenged. This facility is also extended to the member accompanying a physically-challenged person.