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High taxes denting TSRTC coffers: Unions
The workers unions of the State-run Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) alleged that the crisis in RTC was because of heavy taxes imposed on the Corporation, and crores of rupees could have been saved had the Corporation was allowed to hike ticket fares whenever diesel rates were increased.
​Hyderabad: The workers unions of the State-run Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) alleged that the crisis in RTC was because of heavy taxes imposed on the Corporation, and crores of rupees could have been saved had the Corporation was allowed to hike ticket fares whenever diesel rates were increased.
The Union leaders alleged that the State government, which was taking Rs 9 per kilometre from the RTC, was not giving the exact reimbursement dues to the Corporation leading to huge losses.
The RTC JAC leader and Staff Workers Federation General Secretary V S Rao said that if the figures were taken from 2014-15 to 2017-18, RTC has consumed 79.60 crore litres of diesel and spent Rs 4,437 crore.
During these four years, the Corporation paid Rs 1,084 crore to Centre as excise duty and Rs 943 crore to State government in the form of Value-Added Tax (VAT). He said that the Centre has increased taxes and the increase during the four years was 110 per cent.
Similarly, the State government had increased the VAT from 22.25 per cent to 27.25 per cent. Had the government did not enhance the tax, the Corporation would have saved Rs 47.17 crore.
The Union leaders alleged that there was a burden of Rs 9.80 per kilometre because of the taxes by the government. “The government is collecting Rs 4 crore per day in the form of taxes and argues that RTC is suffering losses of Rs 1 crore per day,” said V S Rao. He alleged that there was no record that the State government gave Rs 3,600 crore to the Corporation as claimed by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. He further said that had the government allowed the Corporation to increase the ticket fares, crores of rupees could have been saved.
Another Union leader alleged that the officials gave wrong figures to the Chief Minister. Recognised Union, Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU), leader said that the officials included the retirement benefits in the fitment burden, which should not have been done. The issue was brought to the notice of Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao, who was also the honorary president of the TMU.
The TMU leaders, meanwhile, met Harish Rao on Friday and wanted the Minister to take up their issue with the cabinet sub-committee, which is set to meet on Saturday again with the recognised union to discuss the pay revision.
