VIJAYAWADA: As many as 4,500 employees of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) have been infected with COVID-19 while performing their duties. Of these, 72 have died due to the virus APSRTC Vice-Chairperson and MD MT Krishna Babu.
Addressing the regional managers at a meeting here on Tuesday, Krishna Babu said that after taking consent from the employees unions, the APSRTC has decided to take one-day Basic Pay from each employee for contributing the same for the employees, who died due to the virus. Each family will be given Rs 5 lakh.
A programme in this regard will be conducted shortly in the presence of Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah, he informed. Directions were given to the regional managers to boost the confidence among the employees. This apart, steps should be taken by the officials to shift the virus-infected employees to the COVID-19 designated hospitals.
The APSRTC didn’t operate buses during the pandemic as the majority of the employees were not assigned duties. At present, between 30 and 40 per cent of the buses are being operated and employees will be taken into duties on a rotation basis. Steps should be taken by the managers in maintaining cleanliness at the bus depots and terminals, he said.
He said focus should be laid by the officials on improving the number of bus services based on the demand and draft plans accordingly, Krishna Babu said. Disclosing that income earned by the APSRTC during August and September is meagre, he said the revenue is not enough to meet the diesel prices.
Starting from October, we need to pay the bank Rs 70 crore per month. Keeping this in view, the officials were given a target to operate 30 lakh km with 60 per cent occupancy and earn a revenue of Rs 250 crore per month.
The other decisions taken include execution of various projects mooted by the APSRTC under BOT basis and Rs 200 crore revenue set as target to be earned through cargo operations for 2020-21.