CHANDIGARH: Punjab Transport Minister, Mr. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, on Wednesday said that the daily income of the department has started increasing by more than Rs.1 crore after crackdown on tax evaders, illegal activities and without permit bus operators.
Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, Cabinet Minister Raja Warring said that the income of the transport department is increasing day by day, now it has reached at Rs.100.48 lakh per day. Referring to the income of the department for the last two months, the Minister said that the income of PRTC and Punjab Roadways stood at Rs.39.01 crore and Rs.34.15 crore respectively in September 2021, which has increased Rs.54.74 crore (PRTC) and Rs.49.57 crore (Punjab Roadways) during the month of October.
Mr. Raja Warring said, the total income of the two institutions increased by 42.57% (Rs. 31.15 crore) stood at Rs104.31 crore in October as against the total Rs.73.16 crore of September, adding that daily income from both the institutions till date is Rs.100.48 lakh.
Comparing the increased income of the department with the past, the Transport Minister said, “Ten years rule of SAD-BJP and four & half year rule of Captain Amarinder Singh’s compromised government allowed sheer loot of the state exchequer and the amount of these 5220-days would be stood at around Rs 5, 200 crore." These people, who filled up their own pockets by looting public money could never think about the public welfare , he added.
Revealing the real face of the politicians who were expanding their business through transport mafia by forming governments in the name of serving the people, Cabinet Minister Raja Warring said that the Akalis surpassed Ahmed Shah Abdali in looting the public money with both hands.
He informed that the order passed in 2012 by Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Surya Kant against illegal expension in multiple permits was not implemented properly. He said that now, we have implemented this decision in toto and cancelled the 680 multiple permits of illegal expension of more than 1 lakh KMs, with this the state government has started getting profit to the tune of Rs 42 lakh daily during the month of October. He stressed that if the illegal expension of permits had been revoked during the period 2012 to 2021, the amount of Rs.1380 crore for 3285 days of nine years (Rs 42 lakhs per day) would have gone to the state exchequer which could be spent on public welfare.
The Transport Minister said, if Rs.6600 crore had gone to the state exchequer, 24, 000 new buses could have been procured and 50, 000 drivers- conductors and other staff could have been recruited for these buses and 2 new buses could be run from each village of the state.
Mr. Raja Warring said that the scam will be thoroughly investigated by forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and every person found guilty, be it a leader or an official, would not be spared at any cost.
Mr. Raja Waring said that as many as 304 buses have been confiscated for evading taxes, without permits and other violations and 64 buses have been challaned so far. He said that the transport department has been able to collect Rs.7 crore as tax. The Minister said that 842 more buses will be added in the state government fleet soon while 1100 buses of PRTC and 1550 buses of Punjab Roadways are plying on roads in the state.
Principal Secretary Transport Mr. K. Siva Prasad, Director State Transport Mr. Paramjit Singh and other officials also presented in the press conference.