The cash-strapped Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will get a breather if the Centre exempts it from toll tax on the lines of Tamil Nadu.
This is expected to reduce a burden of nearly Rs. 70 crore per annum for RTC, besides providing relief to the passengers.
“This demand has been put before the previous Congress government, but to no avail. The TDP government should work out the modalities for getting the concession,” feels K. Dhanunjaya Reddy, the outgoing president of APSRTC National Mazdoor Union (NMU).
Referring to the union, he said that mindset of the union leaders should change and one should not solely look at taking advantage of a post. “Given the present scenario, such things seem a remote possibility. This has forced me to quit the post. I have taken steps to bring in young blood to the union with the hope of bringing the change for good,” he said.
The new core committee of the union, which was announced on Wednesday, comprises Challa Chandraiah (president), BSP Rao (chief vice-president), B. Siva Prasad (vice-president), Y. Srinivasa Rao (general secretary), Varahala Naidu (assistant general secretary), K.A. Khan (joint secretary), S.P. Rao (State secretary) and Syed Mahmood (chief executive).
Mr. Reddy made some suggestions for strengthening of the organisation, while promoting welfare of the 70,000-odd employees in the divided A.P. He said privatisation of RTC’s property on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis should be avoided and self-income generation initiatives such as development of RTC’s own property be undertaken. “The long-term lease under BOT method will cause many problems in the future,” he observed.
“RTC workers are being given incentives under a slab system. If a percentage system is adopted as in Tamil Nadu, it will be encouraging to the staff,” he said. In each of the 123 depots in the State, one bus should be bought with the money collected from the workers’ salary and the workers should be made partners in this, he suggested.
