Himachal Pradesh – HRTC Employees & Pensioners to Get 6% DA

HRTC Employees & Pensioners to Get 6% DA – Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the state government was creating a corpus fund to solve the problems of pension, gratuity, leave encashment of employees of the HRTC, so that they get all benefits without any delay.

The chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh on Friday announced six percent Dearness Allowance to employees and pensioners of the HRTC. He disclosed that the State Government was mulling to create Corpus Fund to solve the problems of pension, gratuity, leave encashment of employees of HRTC so that they may get pensionary benefits without any delay. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was presiding over the Foundation Day celebration of Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation at Peterhof, on 2nd October.

He said that the State Government was committed for the welfare of the employees of HRTC and for providing them all benefits in a time bound manner. He said with changing of regimes, policies kept changing too and this effected the rules, either of pension or otherwise. He said that there was a need to change the system in larger interest of the employees and assured to formulate a suitable policy for welfare of employees and said that a way-out would be evolved to give monetary benefits to the retired employees of the Corporation in time bound manner.

Shri Virbhadra Singh said unlike the private bus operators, HRTC even ply on those routes having minimum profit with the sole objective to facilitate the people of the area. He said that the Government has to see the welfare of the poor and middle class families who were dependant on transport services, thus it was necessary that the services being provided should fulfill all parameters like cleanliness, proper maintenance, dress code and politeness with the passengers etc., which would further infuse confidence amongst the people on State transport services.

The Chief Minister added, due to peculiar topography of the State, we have to depend on the road transportation in times to come as there was no other alternative source of transportation and hoped that the air and railway facilities would also expand simultaneously. He said that the work on expansion of airstrips was being undertaken and soon the airstrips of the State would facilitate landing of bigger aircrafts thereby giving much needed fillip to the tourism activities. He said that many roads have been constructed in the State and high passes posed a great challenge in their construction but due to will power and committed of the State Government, road length as on today was more than 34000 kilometers.

He also pointed out,  HRTC had introduced new 1200 buses recently and was in profit and more 300 buses were approved by the board. He said that from a fleet of 379 buses during formation of HRTC there were now 2500 buses in its fleet, providing reliable bus services to the people at every nook and corner of the State.

Shri Virbhadra Singh said a sum of Rs. 25 crore was being spent on construction of nine bus stands in the State, besides 16 ultra modern workshops were also being constructed under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission by spending Rs. 67.18 crore.

He said as many as 1,900 persons had been given appointment in the HRTC, besides 550 employees had been regularised and 228 piece-meal workers had been made contractual employees in the last two-and-a-half years. He also released a souvenir on the occasion and visited the exhibition set up on the occasion showcasing HRTC services in far flung and remote areas.

Transport Minister, Shri G.S. Bali, while speaking on the occasion said that the government was committed to fulfill the demands of the employees and ensure their welfare. He said that when he took over as Minister in the present government, HRTC was at loss of Rs 540 crore, but today besides increase in the mileage the Corporation has earned revenue of Rs. 580 crore in 2014-15. Besides this, the revenue in 2012-13 was Rs. 390 crore and Rs. 432 crore in 2013-14. This amounts to total increase of Rs. 182 crore.

As a special case, Bali sought permission from the Chief Minister to employ one member of a family each of those who died in an accident today near Bhota while coming to Shimla to attend a function. He also announced to give his salary to the next of the kin of the deceased, besides assistance as per the norms.

President HRTC Officers Association, Shri Anil Sen also spoke on the occasion and thanked the Chief Minister for sparing his time for the raising day as HRTC came into existence on 2nd October, 1974 and today has emerged as the most profitable unit wherein thousands of employees cater day and night service in the welfare of the people of the State.

Source: Himvani