Transport Minister B. Sriramulu on Friday informed the Legislative Council that 447 employees out of a total 1,505 employees of the four State-run road transport corporations, dismissed earlier, have been reinstated so far.
“These reinstated employees have gone through Lok Adalat, and the Government is urging others to approach Lok Adalat to find solution,” he said in response to a question by Congress Chief Whip Prakash Rathod. He also said that 2,846 employees had been suspended during the agitation by the employees for 6th Pay Commission wages, and that suspension of all has been revoked.
When Congress members raised the delay in payment of salaries, Mr. Sriramulu said that with the ₹3,000 crore assistance from the Government, the delay in salary payment that was six months earlier is now delayed by one-and-a-half months to two months.
To another question by Deputy Leader of Congress Govindraju on profitability of electric buses, the Transport Minister said that it was still not known. “Only in the last six to eight months electric buses are being run. We have not worked out profits,” he said.
Electric buses
Earlier, Mr. Govindaraju accused the Government of irregularities in electric buses deal as just about 24 of the 90 procured were being operated due to shortage of charging points. “Though under the contract the buses are mandated to run 180 km a day, Government is making full payment though buses are run for 80 km. The payment is being made to all the 90 buses though all are not operated.”
The Minister refuted any irregularities in the deal. He said that in the first tranche the Government has contracted 90 buses under Smart City project at ₹45 lakh each. Out of the total ₹50 crore allocated, ₹5 crore is still left. Mr. Sriramulu also said that a further 300 buses are being contracted.
