Will ensure level-playing field in transport sector: Amarinder

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday reiterated his government’s commitment to providing a level playing field to all stakeholders in the state’s transport sector and said that the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has reported an operating profit of ₹9.21 crore between April 2017 and December 2017.

Flagging off a fleet of 25 new buses of PRTC, the chief minister said the increase in operating profit reflected the transformation in the sector, which was being modernised to provide a better transport infrastructure in the state.

Noting that the daily income of PRTC had increased from ₹106 lakh to ₹123 lakh, the chief minister said the addition of 25 of the planned 100 buses would take the PRTC bus strength to 1,075 and enabling the state carrier to ply its fleet on total 3.75 lakh kilometres per day in the state.

All non-operational routes would be revived with the completion of the total targeted strength of 1,075 buses.

The chief minister congratulated PRTC for its sustained efforts to bring the state carrier back on track.

He pointed out that as many as 150 new buses had already been added since his government took over in March last year, and the process of strengthening the infrastructure would continue.

He lashed out at the previous SAD-BJP government for its deliberate mismanagement and exploitation of the transport sector for their personal gains.

In response to a question regarding Rana Gurjit’s resignation from the cabinet, Amarinder said the resignation was voluntary.

The commission of inquiry set up to probe the sand mining auctions had done its job and there was no need to confuse these two issues, said the chief minister.