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UPSRTC wants govt to pay ₹544 cr for ferrying migrants, deploying buses for panchayat polls
During the first wave of the pandemic between March 27 and June 30, 2020, the UPSRTC deployed 3,905 buses at the government’s behest to ferry 33.93 lakh migrants/other passengers
LUCKNOW After ferrying more than 33 lakh ticketless migrants from different cities to their home districts during the Covid-19 lockdown last year and deploying 1,500 buses to transport polling staff during the panchayat elections this year, the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is now asking the government to clear bills to the tune of ₹544 crore.
Chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari recently convened a high-level meeting to find out ways to clear UPSRTC’s arrears, more so when increasing fuel prices had further stressed the cash-strapped corporation, said officials.
“The chief secretary listened to all – the UPSRTC and the other departments before referring the matter to the finance department for the final solution,” said a senior UPSRTC official, adding: “Now, we are keeping our fingers crossed.”
According to details shared by the corporation with the government, during the first wave of the pandemic/lockdown between March 27, 2020 and June 30, 2020, the UPSRTC deployed 3,905 buses at the government’s behest to ferry 33.93 lakh migrants/other passengers.
“The passengers were not charged any fare as the government was committed to compensate the same from the Disaster Management Fund. Accordingly, the UPSRTC raised a bill of ₹631 crore, of which ₹348.80 crore outstanding is still unpaid by the government,” the official claimed.
This year, during the second wave of Covid-19 (April 19 to May 9,) the UPSRTC ferried 9.52 lakh migrants/other passengers on ticket basis and the corporation did not raise any bills.
“In the meantime, the government also hired 1,520 buses for the panchayat polls between –April 12 and May 6 this year. The UPSRTC gave a bill of ₹183.76 crore to the home department, but it was yet to be paid,” said officials.
The total outstanding against the government or its departments was calculated to be over ₹544 crore. The UPSRTC is believed to have suffered a loss of ₹140 crore up to September this financial year, average being ₹25 crore every month with the increased diesel prices. The UPSRTC’s annual revenue/expenditure is around ₹5,000 crore.
“Due to reduced income and locked resources, old buses have not been replaced with new ones for the last two years. The corporation needs to replace over 1,200 buses annually,” pointed out another official.
“A proposal to grant equity of ₹390 crore to enable replacement of 1,300 buses was sent by the corporation to the state government more than a year back, but it is still pending,” he added.
The UPSRTC pays around ₹20 crore tax to the government every month and the government, according to people in the transport department, might adjust tax amount against the corporation’s bills. “But even after the adjustment, the government will need to pay around ₹250 crore to the UPSRTC,” said officials.
