The state government has announced a hike in the payout to hired vehicles for the upcoming poll duty.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the demand made by the private bus and minibus operators, who had written for an increase in the payout. Last month, operators under the Joint Forum of Transport Operators had demanded a revision of the pay for private buses to Rs 4,000 from existing Rs 2,300 and to Rs 3,500 from Rs 1,900.
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Given the fact, the state government today allowed an increase to Rs 2,530 from the existing Rs 2,300 for private buses and Rs 2,090 for minibuses. Some of the private and minibus operators, however, are not satisfied with the increased amount. According to the general secretary of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, Tapan Banerjee, the operators under his union are not happy with the amount increased. “A transport worker would work for 24 hours on poll duty in a bus for which we had demanded Rs 500 for food allowance. What could be the amount for daily hiring charges and food scientifically?” claimed the general secretary of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicates. “It would have been better had the amount been decided after considering the charges of the other states,” he added.