Transport staff to get all benefits on day of retirement: Nehru

COIMBATORE: Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru said that the state government has taken efforts to provide retirement benefits to employees of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) on the same day of their retirement.

“The new system will be operational within 6 months,” he said, while speaking at a function to distribute monetary benefits of Rs 82.22 crore to retired staff in Salem. The minister also opened an air-conditioned retiring room for the staff.

KN Nehru was all praise for DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi for his contributions to the transport sector. It was the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who made it into a government enterprise, which was in the hands of private operators, he said.

“The DMK bought 15,000 new buses from 2006-11 and appointed 60,000 drivers and conductors. However, only 5,600 buses were purchased and 5,600 persons employed by the AIADMK during its rule,” he said.

Further, Nehru said the system of hiking salary for every three years for transport department staff was introduced by Karunanidhi, while it was changed to four years by AIADMK.

“When DMK came to power again, it was brought to three years once again. The DMK gave a hike for Rs 528 crore as against a mere Rs 80 to 120 crore by the AIADMK,” he said. Earlier, the minister also addressed party men and urged them to work hard for the success of DMK in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.