Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 29: Employees of the State Road Transport Corporation protested here today, demanding release of their post-retirement benefits, which have been pending since they left the Corporation in 2019.
A delegation of employees told Excelsior that nearly 202 non-pensionable employees who retired in 2019 were denied post-retirement benefits such as gratuity and leave pay.
Employees alleged that the Corporation is deceiving the administration by claiming that it is unable to pay the benefits because of losses incurred as a result of the pandemic in the previous two years. “How did they manage to pay their employees’ salaries worth crores of rupees?” one employee said, adding that they had worked for the company their entire lives, but it was withholding their benefits when they needed them the most.
They rued that the majority of the employees are suffering from health problems and are unable to meet their medical expenses. “Almost all of the employees are suffering from various diseases related to old age, and their medical expenses run into thousands, but they are suffering due to a lack of funds,” another employee said, adding that if the administration continues to act in this manner, employees will become a burden for families.
They said they have learned that the government is considering releasing retirement benefits worth around Rs. 30-crore to employees whose benefits have been withheld since 1990, and they want their issues addressed as well.
They said they had been running from pillar to post for redress of the issues, but that nothing had been done so far except promises, “All the officials, particularly Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta and Advisor, R.R. Bhatnagar, gave us patient hearing and even wrote back to the corporation in favour of our demands, but the corporation is unmoved,” another employee said, adding that the concerned Managing Director of the corporation is also unmoved.
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