The Hindu : Other States / Madhya Pradesh News : Transport employees not paid for months

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Friday, Dec 17, 2004

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Other States - Madhya Pradesh

Transport employees not paid for months

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, DEC. 16. The Madhya Pradesh Road Transport Corporation is running losses to the tune of over Rs. 1000 crores. Its employees have not been paid their salary for months together and the Corporation's salary backlog is over Rs. 45 crores, said the State Transport Minister, Umashankar Gupta, here today.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Gupta said the State Government has decided to adopt the Gujarat system and go for electronic weigh bridge at important transport barriers in the State. He said that the State Transport department's focus was to eliminate corruption at the transport barriers.

The Minister said that on the basis of a broad survey, it has been found that the most efficient system was being followed in Gujarat, where they have completely adopted the electronic weigh bridge system. In that State, all the weigh bridges are linked to the central office and every time a weigh bridge is used, the reading gets recorded at the head office. This helps in proper maintenance of records, he added.

The new system, Mr. Gupta said, would be introduced in the State from January 1. Till now the transit documents were being used by the truck operators to establish the total load they were carrying, he said adding that under the new system they would also have to show the receipt obtained from any weigh bridge.

He said that Rs. 10 crores have been sanctioned in this year's Budget for setting up weigh bridges at the busy Sendhwa barrier in western Madhya Pradesh. In view of paucity of funds, the private sector would also be encouraged to set up weigh bridges at different locations in the State.

The Madhya Pradesh Government is also exploring the possibility of entering into a deal with Gujarat for having a common barrier for the two States. The idea of a common transport barrier with States having a common border had also figured during discussions at a recent conference at Agra that was attended by the Transport Ministers from few neighbouring States, he said, adding that the Transport Ministers of many States were being invited to carry forward this discussion in Bhopal on January 30-31 next. Mr. Gupta said that efforts to streamline the State Transport department's working have shown good results.

The single window system which was introduced at the Regional Transport Offices in every district on October 1 this year has been very successful. He told newspersons that even the system of flying squads has been abolished in the State. While this has helped in curbing corruption, complaints have started coming in regarding illegal bus operators, he pointed out.

Mr. Gupta said that the State Transport Department's "Operation Ankush" for streamlining its working is now

entering the fourth phase, which would continue till December 30.

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