PRTC workers hold gate rally, want demands met

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 23

Members of the PRTC Workers’ Union (AITUC) on Friday conducted a gate rally where representatives of the union highlighted pending demands of the PRTC (Pepsu Road Transport Corporation). The pending demand of the introduction of new buses and outstanding payments running into crores of rupees remained main points of discussion during the rally.

Addressing a gathering outside the main entrance of the PRTC depot (Bathinda), Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary, AITUC, said, “The government had announced to introduce 100 new buses and had sanctioned the same around eight months ago. But later files were not cleared on time by officials concerned in the transport department as a result of which the matter is still pending. Around three months ago when an AAP legislator had highlighted in the matter in the state Assembly, the government swung into action and cleared files. But now again the government was delaying the project for reasons best known to it.”

Dhaliwal added, “There are over Rs 140 crore outstanding dues, which the state government has not paid to the PRTC till now. As per the High Court orders, the state government is required to pay money on a quarterly basis for ‘free travelling’ to the PRTC, which has not been paid for the past seven quarters. We also demand that direct contract employees who have completed three years of service must be regularised on priority and similarly outsourced workers must be brought into direct contract system soon so that they can be regularised soon.”

Notably, there are around 640 employees under direct contract, as many as 2,450 employees are outsourced and around 1,092 employees are regular under PRTC authorities in the state.

The union members alleged that state government did not release money in time under different allowances, including medical bills, overtime payment, travelling allowance, retirement benefits and arrears.

Dhaliwal said, “The kilometre scheme must be abolished as it has become a breeding-ground for corruption as those who have been given contract under the scheme are only concerned about covering kilometres and not increasing the number of passengers or revenue of the corporation. The PRTC must take loan from banks and introduced its own buses. We demand that the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission must be implemented at the earliest. The state government must also cancel illegal permits of several private buses running on different routes, thereby affecting the revenue collections drastically.”