Karnataka Govt Offered 12% Wage Revision, 26-Month Arrears to Transport Staff: Minister Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy said the state government has offered a 12 percent wage revision along with 26 months of arrears to transport corporation employees, amid growing concerns over a possible strike by bus staff unions.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said wage revision for transport employees was originally due in 2020 under the four-year settlement cycle, but delays occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial difficulties faced by transport corporations during that period.
Wage Revision Delayed Due to COVID
Ramalinga Reddy explained that salary revision should ideally have been implemented retrospectively from March 2020. However, the previous BJP government led by former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai implemented a 15 percent wage revision effective from April 1, 2023, instead of granting retrospective benefits from 2020.
āThe employees are demanding that the wage revision should have been implemented from March 2020 itself because it is supposed to happen once every four years,ā the minister said.
Governmentās Current Offer
The minister stated that multiple rounds of discussions have already taken place with transport employee unions.
āOur government has clearly stated its position. We are ready to provide 26 months of arrears and implement a 12 percent wage revision,ā Ramalinga Reddy said.
However, he added that it remains unclear how the unions would respond to the proposal.
On Possible Transport Strike
When asked about the possibility of a strike affecting public transport services, the minister said the government would respond appropriately depending on the situation.
āWe will see when the situation arises,ā he remarked.
Remarks on Private Bus Fare Hike
Responding to questions regarding alleged fare hikes by private buses, Ramalinga Reddy clarified that ordinary private stage carriage operators cannot arbitrarily increase fares.
He explained that district-level committees headed by Deputy Commissioners, along with Regional Transport Officers (RTOs), are responsible for deciding such matters.
However, he noted that luxury and All-India permit buses function under separate national permit systems and are outside the state governmentās direct control.
Criticism Over Fuel Price Hike
The Transport Minister also criticised the Central Government over rising petrol, diesel and LPG prices.
He pointed out that during the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, international crude oil prices had reached nearly 130 to 140 dollars per barrel, yet subsidies were provided to keep fuel prices lower for consumers.
According to Ramalinga Reddy, after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power, subsidies on petrol, diesel and cooking gas were largely withdrawn.
āEven when crude oil prices later declined globally, consumers did not receive proportional benefits because the government retained the revenue instead of passing relief to the public,ā he alleged.
The minister demanded that the Centre should once again provide subsidies on fuel and LPG to reduce the burden on citizens.
No Immediate Proposal Before SRC
On being asked whether any proposal related to fare revision or fuel-linked revisions was before the State Road Transport Corporation (SRC), Ramalinga Reddy said no such proposal was currently under immediate consideration.
Cabinet Expansion and Political Speculation
Reacting to speculation surrounding possible cabinet expansion and leadership discussions within the Karnataka Congress, the minister said he had no official information regarding leadership changes.
āThere may be cabinet expansion or reshuffling, but I do not have any information,ā he said.
Congress Confident on Poll Promises
Speaking about the governmentās performance, Ramalinga Reddy said the Congress government was committed to fulfilling nearly all promises made during the Assembly elections.
He highlighted that during the 2013ā2018 Congress government, the party had fulfilled 158 out of 165 promises made to the public.
The minister alleged that the BJP government fulfilled only around 60 out of nearly 600 promises made during the 2018 elections.
āWe still have two years left. We will fulfil almost 99 percent of the promises made during the elections,ā he asserted.
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