Madhya Pradesh Govt Shuts Down RTC

AIRTWF Appeals For United Agitation

THE All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF) has strongly condemned the decision of the Madhya Pradesh government to close down the State Road Transport Corporation, throwing thousands of workers on to the streets.

In a statement issued on January 4 the AIRTWF president Shyamal Chakraborthy and general secretary K K Divakaran demanded the Madhya Pradesh state government to immediately rescind its decision. They also called upon the workers of the MPSRTC to launch a united agitation to save the corporation.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had announced closure of Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, which runs 1,000 buses and employs 11,000 workers. The state government announced voluntary retirement scheme to the workers.

The AIRTWF requested the state chief minister to refrain from implementing this decision in the interest of the poor who predominantly use the buses for their travel. They pointed out that this decision of the Madhya Pradesh government comes at a time when the prime minister Manmohan Singh had declared public transport a priority and stressed the need for developing public infrastructure and in investing public transport while inaugurating the Delhi Metro service on December 19, 2004.

The AIRTWF appealed the workers of MPSRTC for united agitation to save the transport corporation. The AIRTWF decided to support the agitation of MPSRTC workers and requested all transport unions to send urgent telegrams to chief minister, Madhya Pradesh to cancel the decision of closing down the MPSRTC. (INN)