A couple of days ago Himachal’s transport minister Govind Singh Thakur announced his government’s decision to soon go in for purchasing 30 electric buses to be plied in Shimla town. This is yet another positive intervention coming in to improve the public transport services in the state. But there is a lot in its backyard in terms of manpower management that needs to be streamlined if the government is really keen on having a model public transport system in the state.
Talking about the positive interventions first, it needs to be pointed that plying of electric buses en route to Rohtang is a commendable initiative albeit it came after some strict directions coming in from bodies like the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The plying of electric vans on local routes in Shimla, Solan and one in even Sarkaghat is a welcome step. The government has also gone in for recruitment that will help the buses acquired to be utilized properly. This had followed allegations of a large number of buses procured under various schemes standing idle,
Announcing the procurement of 30 electric buses for Shimla, Thakur said ,”These buses would not only provide comfortable travelling facility to the commuters but would also help in checking the pollution.” He added ,”The purchase orders had been given after fulfilling all the coding formalities. The state government has followed the directions and norms of the central government and the quality buses were being purchased on the minimum rates. All 50 electric buses would be purchased for Shimla town with the co-operation of union heavy industries and public enterprises ministry. Out of these orders have been given for nine metre long 30 buses while remaining 20 buses having length of seven meters would be purchased later for which the process is already on.”
But there is lots of work to be done in his backyard when it comes to holistic improvement of public transport. The first matter of grave concern is about the recruitment of mechanical staff in the workshops.
NC Shandil who is a senior functionary of Himachal Pradesh Transport Workers Union pointed out, “The whole approach on getting jobs done in piecemeal is wrong. A large number of mechanical staff has retired and lot of people will be retiring in the next two to three years. It is high time the government recruits fresh staff that can be properly trained by the seniors before they retire.”
He also pointed to the long delays in payment of dues against the overtime and working during the weekly offs by the drivers and conductors. “Even those who retired in 2016-17 are yet to get their retirement benefits like pensions and gratuity. It is a shame that employees who have worked for decades in the transport department are compelled to sell their lands because of delays in payment of their dues,” he said.
The employees are also seeking a well framed policy in context of drivers trained under the skill development programmes of the government. They disclosed that till sometime back, these people enrolled as trainees were used to run the show for a long time while they continued to be paid a trainee’s stipend. The employees say that when the drivers have been trained as drivers by the government under a skill development programme, the government must come forward to utilize their services through a proper policy instead of choosing to outsource these jobs. “These cannot be contract jobs because contractual employment is acceptable only for short term jobs. A government bus driver’s job is not there for just a year or so. It is for lifetime and the norm of equal work equal pay must be applied in their case,” said Shandil.
.
