PRTC awaits Rs 175 cr due under free travel scheme for women

Tribune News Service

Karam Prakash

Patiala, August 22

A free travel scheme for women — launched by the previous Congress government — has become a burden for Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC).

Unkept promise

When the scheme was kicked off last year, the govt had assured of reimbursing fares within 15 days. The govt has reneged on its promise. — Nirmal Dhaliwal, Convener, PRTC, Workers’ Union

It is learnt that the government has failed to reimburse Rs 175 crore related to scheme to the PRTC. Consequently, the PRTC finds itself in a tight spot while paying salaries to its staff. Three weeks of August already gone by, thousands of PRTC employees still have not received their pay for July.

Of the total daily income of Rs 2.10 crore, the PRTC earns around Rs 1 crore from women passengers. A senior PRTC official said, “It appears that the current dispensation is not happy about the free women travel scheme. Thousands of PRTC employees are suffering due to the scheme as we don’t get our salaries in time.”

Sources said the reimbursement for the free women travel facility had been irregular since the Aam Aadmi Party formed the government.

Meanwhile, Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, convener, PRTC workers’ union, said, “When the scheme was kicked off last year, the government had assured reimbursement of fares within 15 days. It has reneged on its promise.”

Poonamdeep Kaur, MD, PRTC, said, “We have been holding meetings with the Finance Department. We are hopeful that the funds will be released soon.”

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