Patiala May 13: Today, the provincial monthly meeting of PRTC Retired Workers Community Union, ATK was held in Patiala under the leadership of Sarv Sri Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal Patron, Mohammad Khalil General Secretary, Uttam Singh Bagri President. Before the meeting started from the stage, a 2-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the 26 tourists martyred by terrorists in Pahalgam and tributes were also paid to the army personnel and civilians martyred during the attacks by Pakistan. Pakistan's nefarious intentions and terrorist acts were also strongly condemned.
Addressing more than 200 pensioners of retired employees gathered, Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal said that the Punjab government is committed to the welfare of the PRTC. And by adopting a completely non-serious attitude towards the issues of the workers and retired employees working in it, by not paying about 600 crore rupees to PRTC for free travel, it is ruthlessly exploiting the workers financially because where the workers are given salary and pension very late every month due to this reason. 
At the same time, the financial dues of at least 180 crore rupees of the workers are also not being paid for years. Nor has this government allowed a single new bus to be introduced in this institution in its three and a half years of tenure. 
Due to which at least 80000 km of routes are missed every day, the public is not getting better bus travel facilities and the institution is also suffering huge financial losses, but still the government keeps making big false claims in the intoxication of power. Such a policy of the government means directly benefiting the private bus mafia. Retired employees are being robbed of their legal rights of LTC illegally. Medical bills are not paid on time. 
The silence of the management regarding the responsibility of paying the arrears of the Pay Commission is not a sign of good management. It is surprising that a political chairman has been appointed for the proper management of PRTC since the time of formation of the government. But he has not been able to show any such miracle so far which has helped in the progress of PRTC in any aspect. Rather, the institution is moving towards very bad conditions.
 As far as there is any talk of taking any kind of welfare step for the workers, nothing like this is seen. Because the economic looting of contract/outsource workers in exchange for meager salaries continues unabated. Nothing has been done to make their jobs permanent. PRTC is also made like beggars in order to take a little or a lot of money from the amount due to the government in exchange for free travel to pay salaries and pensions. Can anyone in any way call such treatment of an institution and its workers by the people's elected government good? This can only be called the government's lack of seriousness and carelessness. 
Now the Chairman should think about what role they have and to what extent they have been able to do justice with that role. Other leaders who addressed the gathering, Sarv Sri Mohammad Khalil General Secretary, Uttam Singh Bagri President, Ramesh Kumar, Deputy General Secretary and Ram Saroop Agarwal said that the atrocities being committed against retired workers, current workers and the PRTC institution will not be seen by the workers as silent spectators for long. Rather, the government's hegemony, the damage being done to this institution and the workers working in it, will be taken to the people's court with a struggle.