8% pay hike for staffers of state RTCs approved

 The state cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to give an 8% pay hike to employees of state-owned road transport corporations with effect from January 1, 2016.

Briefing reporters about the cabinet decision, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the total burden on the state exchequer due to the pay hike will be Rs 1,131.11 crore, and it will be implemented in the next four years. None of the road transport corporations has made profit in the last three years. Hence, the government has decided to hike the employees’ salary, he said. The pay hike applies to all 1.15 lakh employees of the four road transport corporations, including the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, he said.

Besides, the cabinet gave its nod to the BMTC to purchase 1,000 buses at a cost of Rs 388 crore. The BMTC will borrow the money from commercial banks for this purpose, but the government will pay the interest amount, which is estimated to be Rs 152.99 crore, Jayachandra said. The cabinet also gave its approval to the North West Road Transport Corporation to recruit 2,257 drivers.

The minister said the cabinet authorised the chief minister to shortlist names to be recommended to the Centre for the Padma awards. A panel headed by the additional chief secretary to the government had recommended a set of names. The chief minister will shortlist the names, he added.