The Hindu 17.07.2009

Implement new pension scheme, says transport staff body

Special Correspondent

THANJAVUR: General secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government Transport Corporation Employees’ Union J. Lakshmanan has appealed to the State Government to implement the new pension scheme as suggested by the Pension reforms committee appointed by the Government for the benefit of transport Corporation employees.

He told presspersons here on Thursday that it was expected that an announcement would come about pension scheme in the recent assembly session when debate on transport department was taken up. But it has not been announced.

He also pointed out the anomaly in salary structure implemented for transport corporation employees. While those from supervisor to managing director were getting salary as State Government employees, drivers and conductors are paid salary of the corporation.

This anomaly should be removed and state salary should be paid for all. Bonus should be paid to employees as per Bonus Act, including those who had worked for more than 400 days.

The Government has said that the corporations are running on a lossof Rs. 1,032 crore.

Bail out corporations

It should immediately release Rs. 2,000 crore to bail out these corporations.

Both central and state Governments should consider giving excise duty relief and sales tax relief to offset the hike in expenditure incurred by the corporations due to petrol and diesel price increase.

He said that 20,104 buses were operated by the corporation, covering 75,000 km per day.

Nearly two crore passengers travel in corporation buses. There are 1.35 lakh employees.

Highlighting these demands, corporation employees staged a demonstration before the divisional office here on Thursday. C. Chandrakumar, AITUC state vice-president, and D. Mathivanan, general secretary of the Thanjavur unit of the employees union, participated in the demonstration.

Mr. Lakshmanan also demanded that the demands of the house surgeons and post graduates who are on hunger strike demanding hike in stipend be met by the Government immediately.