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Workers’ union warns against RSRTC privatisation

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) employees’ union has warned against any move by the State Government to privatise the Corporation. There is a conspiracy to do away with the Corporation, set up under a Central law, the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950, so that private transporters can benefit and politicians and bureaucrats can share the spoils from sale of property worth Rs.15,000 crore, the union charged.

According to leaders of the All India Trade Union Corporation-led Rajasthan State Roadways Employees’ Union, the Finance Department has send proposals to the Government for Cabinet approval to permit private coaches to ply on the nationalised routes in the State, to provide franchise to the private bus operators to operate from RSRTC bus stations and to further reduce the number of personnel in the corporation.

“Each year a large number of workers are retiring and new recruitments are not taking place. In the end whoever is left would be retrenched and the Corporation would be wound up for good,” said M.L. Yadav, president of the union, talking to journalists here.

“The move to allow private buses on nationalised routes would further reduce the dwindling income of the Corporation and even payment of salaries of workers would be a problem in the near future,” he warned.

The leaders noted that a letter from the Transport Department to RSRTC on August 2 soliciting its comments on the proposals was not opposed in “strong terms” by the latter. This would mean that the State Government would go ahead with the proposals, they said.

“The far-reaching consequences of privatisation of RSRTC would be felt not only by the 22,000-strong staff of the Corporation but lakhs of general public who would be at the mercy of ruthless private players in the field,” said Hargovind Sharma, general secretary of the union.

He said it was the duty of any welfare state to make available public transport facilities at reasonable rates.

The leaders, while conceding that the Corporation has been incurring losses for the past one decade, held the policies of the authorities responsible for it.

“The connivance of the authorities in illegal operation of private buses on the nationalised routes along with the wrong policies pursued has led to the financial losses of the corporation. Yet the losses have been steadily coming down during the past six years,” Mr. Sharma added.

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