Naxals puncture transport revenue

“We have been able to meet 50 per cent of the revenue target that we had set for the current financial year,” Kundu told mediapersons after the meeting.

“The collection from West Midnapore has been low because of the situation there,” he added.

The department,which had set a target of Rs 600 crore,has been able to collect around Rs 300 crore in the current financial year.

With only four months for the current financial year to end,the government is not hopeful of meeting the target.

During the meeting,he also advised the functionaries to intensify checking,monitoring and vehicle registration mechanisms to increase revenue.

Since last year,the Naxal violence in both West Midnapore and East Midnapore districts has increased.

The government is currently trying to secure Lalgarh and other adjoining blocks like Salboni and Binpur,and has deployed joint security forces to put an end to growing threats from the Naxals.

Bus replacement deadline ends,defaulters to lose permit
With the extended replacement application deadline for 15-year-old buses expiring,the state government today said transporters who failed to apply during the given time period would lose their permits.

“Those who failed to have applied within the extended deadline that ended yesterday would be assumed to have lost interest in operating buses. They will lose permits,” said state Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu.

Nearly 2,500 buses and 600 mini-buses were banned following the Calcutta High Court order that 15-year-old vehicles or more would have to be replaced.

The government initially set the replacement deadline on October 30 and by a November 4 notification,extended it for another 15 days.

According to Kundu,out of 850 bus replacement applications were received till date,replacement orders have been issued for 440. Of these,50 buses have already hit the roads.

For mini-buses,replacement orders have been issued for 286 against 291 applications. Of these,46 vehicles are on the roads.

Asked about the government’s plan to offset the shortage of buses,the minister said that when the number of buses on a route depletes,notifications are issued seeking expression of interest from private operators for running buses.

Kundu,meanwhile,also said that the Public Vehicles Department has been asked to take action against pool cars with the rapid increase in complaints form Howrah,Kolkata and South and North 24-Parganas. ENS with PTI inputs