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Free bus travel for women: PRTC awaits ₹60-cr due
The PRTC awaits dues for the past six months; the corporation says it has already sent bills amounting to ₹60 crore bills over the past months with the state finance department, but they are yet to be cleared
Patiala Six months into the implementation of the Punjab government’s decision to provide free bus travel to women, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) is yet to receive arrears amounting to ₹60 crore for the period.
In the state budget presented in the assembly on March 8, the government had set aside ₹170 crore to fund the scheme to ensure timely payments to the corporation. The scope of the scheme was expanded to cover government college students as well. The government had also announced that payments will be made every fortnight after the implementation on April 1.
“The corporation has already sent bills amounting to ₹60 crore bills over the past months with state finance department, but they are yet to be cleared,” said a PRTC official, who did not wish to be named. Officials added that they are ensuring that the bills are forwarded on time, and the delay in receiving the funds was inexplicable.
Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, convener, PRTC-linked trade unions, said the government had promised to sanction funds every fortnight, but had failed to clear bills over the past six months. “Instead of making late payments to the corporation, the government should give the required amount in advance,” he said.
The corporation runs buses from nine depots in Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Chandigarh, Patiala, Bathinda, Budhlada, Barnala, Faridkot and Sangrur. “It spends around ₹65 lakh a day on diesel for running its full fleet of 1,073 buses. The government must ensure that the bills are cleared on time so that the corporation does not face any financial crunch,” said Dhaliwal. PRTC managing director Parneet Shergill says she had joined only recently, and yet to look into the matter.
