Bengaluru: The employees of state-owned Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) along with three other transport corporations have called off their plan to go on strike from Thursday, according to Minister for Transport H.M. Revanna.
“We have decided to hike wages by 12.50 per cent for the employees. It is effective from September 1, 2016. The wage arrears for nine months (from January 1, to September 30, 2016 has already been paid to the employees in instalments,’’ Minister Revanna said.
The minister said the arrears of wages for four months has been pending for the employees of North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC).
“The pending wage arrears of Rs 31.27 crore will be paid to the employees in equal instalments,’’ he said.
The minister said the transport corporations have to bear Rs 1767.35 crore additional burden due to the wage hike,’’ he said.
Transfer of employees
The minister said the five transport corporations have received around 10,000 applications from employees seeking one-time inter-corporation transfer but the authorities were able to consider 3,552 applications.
“We have received many applications from Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employees seeking transfer. We are not able to consider all of them since the number of employees seeking transfer to the BMTC is considerably less (250) than those (1,000) who want to join other transport corporations,’’ he said.
Special drive to recruit staffs
The minister has issued an order to organize a special drive for recruitment of bus drivers and conductors for Mangaluru and Puthur bus depots due to the acute shortage in those bus depots.
“There are many vacancies in those depots. We have tried to recruit bus drivers and conductors but could not able to fill up the vacancies. Now, we want to make one more attempt to fill up the vacancies. Our focus is to recruit locals for the posts of drivers and conductors,’’ he said.
Less Traffic Day
The minister has said many people have extended support to the proposal for having Less Traffic Day on every second Sunday of the month from February.
“Kannada film actors Puneeth Rajkumar and Yash and director Yogaraj Bhat have agreed to participate in the Less Traffic Day campaign. We are holding discussions with all stakeholders including residents’ welfare associations and the residents of Electronics City, especially software employees to make this campaign a success. Every second Sunday of the month will be observed as Less Traffic Day,’’ the minister said.
Contesting Assembly poll
The minister has said that he has not decided on contesting to the State Assembly. He said that his term as a MLC would end only after two-and-half years.
“There are rumours on me contesting from Hebbal, Mahalakshmi Layout or Magadi constituencies to the State Assembly. As of now, I have no such plans. I have to obey if Congress high command asks me to contest in the Assembly elections,’’ he said.
Making it clear that he does not want to ruin the chances of other Congress candidates, he said: “I am not the person to believe that voters will elect me because I am transport minister. I firmly believe in nurturing the constituency for three years prior to contesting to the State Assembly.’’
Answering a query on contesting from Mahalakshmi Layout, the minister said that he owns a house at Mahalakshmi Layout. “I go my home at Mahalakshmi Layout daily but that doesn’t mean I am the candidate from Mahalakshmi Layout,’’ he said.
Hegde must go to NIMHANS
Coming down heavily on Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde for making derogatory remarks on writers and politicians, the transport minister said that Hegde needs to be admitted to National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences for treatment.
