The State Government’s decision to absorb the former Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) employees who were shifted to the State Transport Department after bifurcation of Bihar has created outrage among them as they find it unjustified and insulting.
They also alleged that due to wrong policy adopted by the Government, future of over 500 such employees has virtually been put into the dark. Monopoly of private transporters, on the other hand, is set to rise causing travelling
for commuters more difficult in the State.
“After working for so many years for the Government, we have been degraded from Class II to Class III category, that too as junior clerks. This is really insulting, Moreover, the notice, issued recently in this regard, indicates that we are being appointed fresh rather than being absorbed by the Government,” said convener of the State Transport Employees Committee KP Rai.
According to Rai, no one of them is ready to join as a fresh appointee after working for the corporation for so many years. “Nothing has been mentioned about our prior dues or retirement benefits during the period we worked for the corporation,” he added. “This is clear cut violation of the Supreme Court order which directed that all the employees of State Road Transport will be absorbed by the Government after it showed its inability to form a new corporation,” he maintained.
“The State Government has also been keeping the Supreme Court in dark. Filing an affidavit in 2012, then Chief Secretary SK Chaudhary had said that the State transport employees have already been absorbed by the Government. When nothing was done in this regard from Government’s side, we were compelled to file contempt against the Government in 2013,” added Rai.
“If the Government does not want to absorb us, we are ready to take voluntary retirement but they are not even ready to pay our retiral benefits,” added Rai.
Issuing a notice to the district transport officers across the State, the Government has directed them to get hold of the properties being used by the of state road transport in their safe custody till further orders.
TN Tiwari, currently posted as Divisional Manager at Dhanbad, demoted as a junior clerk has been asked to serve under Dumka Deputy Commissioner as a fresh recruit.
“I don’t know what to do now. Anyway, I have no option but to fight for my right,” Tiwary said. I have served for about 35 years at supervisory level and is now being asked to join as a fresh appointee,” complained Tiwari.
Joint Commissioner, Transport department, Ram Karan Ram however, said that the employees are being absorbed as per their educational qualifications.
“We have selected them according to their educational qualification and absorbed as many as 340 employees. No decision has been taken about the rest 224 as they did not fulfill the minimum qualification required for the appointment,” said the Joint Commissioner.
Incidentally, the transport system in Jharkhand is totally dependent on the private transporters which are virtually uncontrolled. They are charging arbitrarily from the commuters.
“With winding up the State Transport department, there will be no option but to travel in the private buses giving opportunity for being exploited by them,” said a passenger Mrityunjay Singh, who was waiting for his bus to Jamshedpur at the State Transport bus stand for over half an hour. He chose to take the State-run bus to Jamshedpur as it is cheaper than the private buses.
“State transport charges only Rs 80 while the private buses charge Rs 120,” Singh complained.