Panneerselvam assails govt.’s move to use private buses to tackle passenger rush for Deepavali

The ADMK Workers Rights’ Retrieval Committee coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, on Saturday assailed the State government’s move to use buses of private firms to tackle the passenger rush in view of the Deepavali festival.

Quoting the figures provided by the government through budget documents and the Transport Department’s policy note in the last three years, he said that by now, there should have been a hike in the fleet of State Transport Corporations (STC) to the extent of 4,713 buses. The decision of the government appeared to give an impression that the STCs would be closed down, he said in a statement.

Mr. Panneerselvam called upon the government to give up its move; employ all its buses to transport the passengers; take steps to contain the increase in fare; and come out with facts on the status of the fleet of the STCs and the strength of conductors and drivers.

‘Drinking habit’

Meanwhile, AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran has observed that if the government had wound up distilleries, clubs and bars that were said to have been operated by members of the ruling party, drinking habit among people would have been addressed.

The DMK regime should appoint a committee comprising senior IAS officers to study the impact of closure of liquor shops on the government’s finances, he added.

He further criticised the government for taking “no steps” to tackle the flooding in Madurai city and called for immediate relief measures to be provided to the affected people.

Published - October 27, 2024 12:19 am IST