As the strike by various transport corporation unions across Tamil Nadu crossed the seventh day on Wednesday, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the government will release ₹750-crore dues for retired employees of the transport corporations.
The move is seen to pacify over a lakh transport employees involved in an indefinite strike from January 4 night, seeking wage revision and release of pensioners’ dues.
Including the ₹750 crore, a total sum of ₹2,147.39 crore has been provided so far by the State government as dues to the pensioners. It will be released before Pongal, which falls on January 14, to benefit those who retired on or before November 30, 2017, said a government release of Palaniswami’s statement in the Assembly today.
In the current financial year alone, the State government had provided ₹1,397.39 crore for retired employees of transport corporations. Further, ₹291.99 crore was provided for them for various allowances, including Dearness Allowance, the CM said in the statement.
The State government has been extending assistance to transport corporations from time to time. In the last five years, a total amount of ₹5,138.57 crore was provided to transport corporations to tide over financial deficits. Further, since 2011, a sum of ₹2,848.36 crore was provided as subsidy for diesel price hike. Keeping in mind people’s interest, the bus fare has also been kept very nominal, he said.
Palaniswami appealed to striking transport employees to consider all these facts — and also in the interest of people — to return to work immediately.