TIRUNELVELI: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations' workers federation has urged the DMK government to abandon its plan to involve private buses on a contract basis in Chennai on Monday. In a statement, R Radhakrishnan, General Secretary of the federation, pointed out that the DMK along with pro-DMK outfit Thozhilalar Munnetra Sangam (Tho Mu Sa) had staged a series of protests against the previous AIADMK government's efforts to implement the same plan.
"After coming to power, the DMK is attempting to do what they opposed earlier. It is not acceptable. The state government's plan of allowing private operators will destroy public transportation. As per this plan, the state government will also compensate for the losses of private buses.
Instead of that, why doesn't the government compensate TNSTC's loss and take it under its direct control?," asked Radhakrishnan, adding that his federation had stopped the Jayalalitha-led AIADMK government's plan of privatising TNSTC in 2002 by approaching the High Court. He further said as many as 3,233 TNSTC buses are being operated in 604 routes of Chennai Corporation, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts.