As the State Government gears up for acquiring private buses for election duty, the proprietors complaint of outstanding dues from Assembly Elections that were held in November 2013.
While as many as 20 percent of the bus owners in the State have not received their dues from the Government, the others allege that they are not being given the full amount as promised by the authorities. They say that they are being unnecessarily troubled for receiving their dues.
“Around 20 percent bus owners have still not got their dues even four months after the Assembly elections. The dues are relatively less this time because the Government knew they could not hold back our money as they require our services again in April,” General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh Transport Union Haji Sharif Raza.
The Government must clear all our dues before April, he said. Even those bus owners who have received their dues said that they are getting the sum after a deduction of 5 percent in the name of ‘service tax’. “We provided our service and staff to the Government itself and then we are made to pay the service charge. This is ridiculous,” said Shahabaz Ashrafi of a private travel agency in the city. Ashrafi received the dues for his five buses only last week.
Another bus owners, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We highly doubt that the government will give us our dues after lok Sabha elections in April. Dues from the last time came only because the officials knew that elections will again be held in a few months.”
“I have received the dues for my buses that were acquired for the first phase of elections. But a huge sum is outstanding for my buses which carried EVMs in the second phase,” said Chandan Sahu whose buses were sent to Balod district on election duty in November 2013.
“The Transport Department is responsible for only acquisition of buses. The payment of their dues releases from Collector office,” said Deputy Commissioner (transport) D Ravishankar.