OPS for HRTC employees, worth 3Cr gifts on golden jubilee celebrations: Dy CM
Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet
OPS for HRTC employees, worth 3Cr gifts on golden jubilee celebrations: Dy CM
Shimla, Oct 17,
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri made a significant announcement following the HRTC Board of Directors meeting held today. He revealed that HRTC is currently celebrating its golden jubilee and is implementing various reforms to enhance revenue and services.
During the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Agnihotri shared that HRTC is planning to distribute Diwali gifts worth Rs 3 crore to its employees. Additionally, they have decided to implement the Old Pension Scheme for 7,000 HRTC employees.
In light of the ongoing golden jubilee celebrations, HRTC is undertaking multiple initiatives to improve its services. The upcoming Navratri festival will see religious shrines being linked to the HRTC’s new bus fleet. Currently, HRTC operates services covering 2,500 kilometers, and they plan to add 100 new services to destinations such as Ayodhya, Haridwar, Kedarnath, Golden Temple, Beas, Jwala Ji, Chintpurni, Baglamukhi, and other religious sites. Furthermore, six airports are already connected to HRTC buses, and the management is actively seeking new route permits to reach additional places. Notably, a new service to Jaisalmer is set to commence after obtaining a route permit from Rajasthan.
A key focus for HRTC has been ensuring timely salary and benefits for its employees, including the regularization of 400 contractual and daily wage staff since December 2022. Additionally, 300 conductor positions will be filled shortly through the Commission. To address the long-pending demands of HRTC employees and retirees, decisions have been made to provide leave encashment, earned leave, and overtime payments to them before retirement. The HRTC has released Rs 7.50 crore to clear the pending dues of these employees, he informed.
The government has decided to bring all 7,000 employees and retirees not covered under the scheme under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). This decision has been made without any formal demands from HRTC staff.
Despite its significant social service commitments, such as offering a 50 percent discount for women, free fares for students, and people with disabilities, HRTC has been facing recurring losses of nearly fifty percent in its operations. HRTC records a monthly revenue expenditure of Rs 145 crore, while its income stands at Rs 75 crore, he added. The state government provides grants to cover the resulting gap, ensuring that HRTC can continue offering subsidized services on loss-making routes, particularly in rural and remote areas, stated the Deputy CM.
Agnihotri has reassured passengers that HRTC will not increase fares to support its operations, even as it identifies new routes. The state government has declined requests from private transporters to raise bus fares from Rs five per kilometer. He clarified that reports of HRTC charging extra fees for luggage are not accurate, and no changes have been made to the existing policy, except for the announcement of new freight rates for HRTC’s courier services.
Students will not be charged extra for carrying one or two laptops or wheelchairs, but freight charges will apply to individuals using HRTC buses for the transport of goods and luggage. The judicious implementation of courier freight charges is expected to boost HRTC’s revenue by Rs one crore.
HRTC currently operates 19 Volvo services on top of its interstate routes, with plans to expand its Volvo fleet to 50. Identifying and establishing food eateries at 99 locations along HRTC routes has contributed to improving the corporation’s operations. A food committee will inspect the quality of food and facilities at these eateries to further enhance services.
HRTC’s management is committed to promoting cashless payments and will work on upgrading online booking and reservation services. In the coming months, they will implement a system for collecting charges using debit and credit cards. Furthermore, HRTC will introduce a toll-free helpline for passengers and transition to a GPS system to monitor the movement of its fleet as part of the golden jubilee celebrations.
The state government is also dedicated to ensuring the safety of HRTC staff, promising stern action against those involved in untoward incidents during their duty. Minister Agnihotri and other officials have visited locations outside the state where such incidents occurred, ensuring that cases are filed against those responsible.
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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
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