Tiwari takes steps to plug holes in ASTC

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 31: The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) has taken some measures to plug the leakage in the Corporation. Talking to newsmen in the city today, ASTC MD Anda Prasad Tiwari said that in the past two months a number of cases were detected and action has been taken against the erring officials to bring the system back on track. He said the corporation has tightened its vigilance mechanism to stop leakages.

Tiwari admitted before newsmen today that prior to his taking charge the Corporation was being run incurring a loss of around Rs 700 crore. He said that the ASTC did employ a private security agency to work for it, but the reality is that the agency does not have license.

“Now the corporation has increased trip allowance of drivers and conductors three times of the existing rates to fulfill their day-to-day needs. Earlier it was 9 paise and 10 paise per km for entire Assam and 25 paise per km for urban areas given after 70 per cent, 80 per cent and 90 per cent of occupancy respectively,” Tiwari said, and added: “In metro cities now that km-wise payment has been done away with. Now the payment is made on the number of tickets sold. Strict vigil will be maintained to make this system click.”

The MD further said: “ASTC has decided to make sustained effort to ensure clean bus clean station. ASS/SS/DS are made responsible for clean station, similarly drivers and conductors will be in charge to keep the bus clean.”

ASTC, according to Tiwari, has decided to pay all pending dues of their own retired and serving employees as well as to pay all liabilities of market shortly. “The Government has decided to give one-time fincial assistance for betterment of ASTC to ensure that ASTC  start with a clean slate. Old pending dues are to the tune of Rs. 150 crore approximately which will be given to the Corporation,” he said.

According to Tiwari, ASTC will adopt technology like e-ticketing, GPS & GIS base bus tracking and monitoring and SMS bus information, automated announcing, local services, to ensure safety and security of commuters, specially women and girls, online inventory magement, online human resource magement etc.

The IPS officer further said: “ASTC will open a few new services like bus booking service for entire Assam, a product survey agency and cargo business.”

In order to make public service more efficient, Tiwari said, ASTC would sell onboard food and water.