Press Note Eng Dt: 28/09/2011 on ST Buses
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OFFICE OF THE LEADER OF OPPOSITION
Gujarat Vidhansabha, Gandhinagar.
Press Note 28th Sept, 2011
- · There is no increase in railway fare since Congress led government took over.
- · ST buses are used to ferry crowd for functions of CM and the burden of the loss is shifted on people.
- · In the buses between Ahmedabad and Rajkot fare has been increased from Rs 6 to Rs 15.
- · Why Adani is allowed to play middleman in CNG to ST.
Gujarat government has increased fare of State Transport buses exorbitantly without any rational logic. It should take a cue from the central government which has not increased tariff of trains since 2004, instead of criticizing the central government, Shaktisinh Gohil, Leader of Opposition said here today in response to increase in the fare of ST buses. Large number of Railway engines use diesel.
Gohil said that railways, on the contrary, announced reduction of Rs one in the fare in the budget. He pointed out that only last year ST had announced increase in the fare and now once again heavy burden has been imposed on people of Gujarat.
He gave example of fare between Ahmedabad and Rajkot. He said that the fare which was Rs 109 has been increased to Rs 115 and fare which was Rs 126 is now Rs.138. Against this, ticket for local train costs Rs 34 and that of Express train is Rs 63. State Transport buses are misused by the government for ferrying crowds for the meetings of Chief Minister which are nothing but political stunts, Gohil said. This causes heavy losses to the ST and government is now trying to shift the burden on people of Gujarat.
CNG for ST buses is available with the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, but the job is done through Adani which gets cut as a middleman, said Gohil. On the other hand, ST staff does not get adequate facilities nor proper wages. Many are on fixed salary, he pointed out.
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