Ganjam: Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) today denied speculations of closing down the Bhanjanagar unit in Ganjam district. Around 90 people claiming to be the employees of the state-run corporation are on a cease-work agitation at the unit since May 12 demanding salary of the past seven months.
OSRTC officials termed the agitation illegal and said that majority of the agitators have not applied for renewal of their services in the current financial year. “ The vehicles are kept stranded illegally at Bhanjanagar by the group for which we decided to divert the vehicles to other units to help passengers,” said an official.
Following the agitation, the corporation has decided to transfer eighteen buses under Bhanjanagar unit to other OSRTC units in Odisha. “ Bhanjanagar unit has incurred loss of more than Rs 1 crore as operational loss last year. But there is no proposal to close the Bhanjanagar unit. In fact, the unit is being strengthened by adding additional buses,” added the official.
The corporation is operating more than 440 buses in more than 200 routes including bus service to other states such as Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Thousands of passengers depend on the bus service to reach remote destinations of districts such as Korapaut, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Kalahandi.
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Ms Kalinga