Pvt bus owners in Bengal seek relief amid lockdown

Kolkata, Apr 17 () Bus operators in West BengalFriday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee, seeking emergency relief for thepassenger transport industry to help it survive the financiallosses being incurred during the nationwide lockdown.

Claiming that both the bus owners and their staff arein similar financial distress owing to the lockdown, the WestBengal Bus-Minibus Samannay Samity wrote to the Centre and thestate government seeking an ex gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh perbus following normalisation of the situation.

Its general secretary Rahul Chatterjee said the amountwould be necessary for rejuvenating the industry and tocompensate the transport staff such as driver, conductor,helper and cleaner.

In the letters, the body also demanded that all EMIsand interest payable should be waived off for six months andrestructure of loan amounts be started six months afternormalisation of the situation.

It also demanded that the validity period of insuranceshould be extended by six months from the original date ofexpiry.

It further sought a waiver of all taxes and feespayable during the lockdown. AMRSOM SOM