Income down by 90%, PRTC seeks ₹210-cr dues from Capt govt

PATIALA: After the daily income of Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) took a 90% dip, the corporation has approached the Punjab government to get back its dues worth over ₹210 crore to meet its committed expenditure, including salaries and pensions.

The state government owed PRTC the said money against the free and concessional facilities being provided by the PRTC, mainly to police personnel and students.

Amid the transport restrictions since March 18, the PRTC daily income dropped from ₹1.40 crore to ₹15 lakh. Though the PRTC resumed its services on May 20, but it is running only 150 of a fleet of 1,045 buses on select routes. The corporation has failed to pay last month’s salary and pension to over 10,000 current and former employees as it requires ₹19 crore per month for the same. Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, convener of trade unions linked with PRTC, said it was a sad state of affairs that the government and transport department had orphaned the PRTC in these hard times.

“If only the government provides the departmental claims on time, pension and the salary can be cleared. The government has stalled claims related to free and departmental concessional travelling for three years. Even over ₹2 crore are due against ‘Mukh Mantri Tirath Darshan Yatra’ scheme,” he said. The corporation was not been compensated for bringing back Punjab residents from Hazur Sahib, students from Rajasthan and ferrying migrant labourers to railway stations and elsewhere, he said.

PRTC managing director Jaskiran Singh said the case related to clearing ₹200 crore has already been submitted to the state government. “We are already holding meetings with top officials of transport department so as to get immediate financial relief for clearing of committed expenses,” he said.