From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 21: Four State-owned Road Transport Undertakings of Karnataka government have managed to bring down the losses but are still not out of the red.

Karnataka’s Transport Minister B Ramalinga Reddy told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday that the revenue losses incurred by the four state-owned Transport companies, including the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), managed to bring down the quantum of revenue loss, during 2014-15.

However, the State Road Transport Undertakings are still struggling to come out from the red, he said.

While the BMTC’s revenue loss of Rs 176 crore during 2013-14 has come down to Rs 52 crore, the other three Corporations also recorded reduced amount of losses during the same period, the minister said.

At the end of the March 2014, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) posted a loss of Rs 40 crore, down from 87 crore last year.

It was followed by the North Eastern Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) at Rs Rs 15 crore from 30 crore.

The North West Road Transport Corporation accounted for a loss of Rs 30 crore from the loss of over Rs 60 crore during the corresponding previous period.

Attributing the reduction of losses due to fall in the price of the diesel in the last few quarters, he expressed apprehension that loss may go up with the Petroleum product prices are once again going skyward.

Replying to questions, Reddy said that while only 18 per cent of the total fleets of all the four Transport corporations made a profit of 47 per cent operating under on no-profit no-loss and the remaining 39 per cent posting only losses.

"We have to provide transport facilities, despite posting losses, in certain sector of routes, on social obligations" he said.

For the benefit of over 1.26 lakh employees of all the four transport corporations, a transfer policy had been evolved, facilitating inter-division as well as inter-corporations transfers.

He said there would be exceptions from adhering to transfer guidelines for the employees, who are seeking transfer on medical grounds and for the benefit of the married couples.

A four-member committee, headed by the Managing Director, KSRTC and other Chiefs of other three Corporations and other high officials, would oversee the requisition for transfers.

The employees, seeking transfers had to submit their request for transfer from February 1 and March 31st and the respective committees, will have to dispose off their applications before May 15, he said.

Replying to questions, he said that there was no any structured policy to handle transfer requests from over 1.26 lakh employees.