Chandigarh, May 17:
As part of its commitment to take government bus service to new scales, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann-led government has inked the agreement with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to procure diesel for Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS and PRTC at Rs.2.29 lower than the market price.
Divulging further, Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, said that government buses have started getting diesel at a lower price of Rs 2.29 per litre from this financial year as per the agreement of the IOC.
The Cabinet Minister said that the diesel to the tune of 78.77 lakh litres has been acquired from the oil corporation for government buses between April 3 to May 15, 2023 through its diesel dispensing units at 9 depots of the PRTC and 18 depots of Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS. Thus, Transport Department has saved over Rs.1.80 crore within these 45 days, he added.
Bhullar said that as many as 1840 buses of Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS and 1230 buses of PRTC are operating in the state, and if the number of buses and the market price of oil remain as of today, the transport department will save more than Rs.15 crore during this financial year. The Indian Oil Corporation will provide diesel at discount rate to the transport department till November 30, 2024 as per this agreement.
The Transport Minister further said that due to the erroneous policies of the previous dispensations, public bus service was always remain in loss, but since the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann government has taken over in the state, the government bus service is turning into profitable institutions. The Volvo buses of Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS and PRTC are plying to Delhi International Airport from different cities of the state, said the Cabinet Minister, adding that new buses have been operating to other states under inter-state bus service.
S. Bhullar said that fuel for public buses was being supplied from the retail sector before April 2023, but now the government has started buying diesel directly from the bulk sector as there was difference of Rs.2.29 in the price of diesel in the bulk and retail sectors. He informed that PRTC and Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS buses consume about 1.83 lakh litres of diesel daily, and now as the department is getting diesel on cheaper rates, both the institutions have started saving around Rs.4.20 lakh per day.
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