The KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation has reiterated its demand to merge the road transport corporations (KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC) into one body. The federation has submitted a list of suggestions to the committee appointed by the State Government to study the restructuring of RTCs and making them financially sustainable.The committee is headed by former IAS officer M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy.In its detailed submission, the federation maintained that the Government’s decision to carve out separate corporations from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has not serve any purpose. In 1997, the Karnataka Government decided to bifurcate KSRTC into new corporations such as the Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC). In 2000, one more corporation, the KKRTC (formerly NEKRTC), was formed.
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“The bifurcation of KSRTC has failed to achieve the desired objectives. One central office became four. What the travelling public got was four chairmen, four vice-chairmen, four MDs, four central offices with a multiplicity of officers. It has become a top heavy administration. Four corporations have four boards. These corporations have not been able to find any additional source of income. These bifurcations, per se have not done any good to the commuters or to the workers or to the organisations. Continuous financial loss, huge debts, and deep discontentment of workmen are the only achievements,” said the federation in its letter.
It argued that merging all the four corporations into one will help in reducing administration cost and ensure quick decision making with a single board in charge.
Among the other suggestions, the federation stated that budgetary allocation should be made available every year for the purchase of new vehicles, construction of depots, and infrastructure needs.
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In addition to this, civic bodies should subsidise 50% of the total expenditure. It cited the Tamil Nadu modeland suggested that a base price be fixed for the purchase of diesel. If there is any increase beyond the base price, the State Government should provide a subsidy.
On fixing fares, the federation said recommendations made by the PGR Sindhia Committee should be implemented. The committee had recommended that a permanent tariff committee, headed by a retired High Court judge, be constituted to revise the fare structure on a periodic basis.
Expenses incurred to ward social obligations such as student bus passes should be reimbursed by the Government. In another major suggestion, the federation said that corporation vehicles should be exempted from paying highway tolls.
Corruption unlimited
The KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation highlighted the level of corruption, which it claimed is prevalent across all four RTCs.
“Corruption grew by leaps and bounds at all levels. Transfers of the officers were auctioned while there was a fixed amount for other staff. Corruption at divisional and higher level encourages or necessitates pilferage of revenue at lower levels. Sanction of leave, transfer, relieving or transfers, promotions, posting, line checking and disciplinary action are the common sources of the corruption,” it stated in a letter to the government-appointed committee