Govt to probe purchase and performance of ''superfast''buses

Shimla, Mar 11 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Transport Minister Kishen Kapoor today said the government would initiate an inquiry into the alleged below par performance of buses procured and run as ''super fast buses'' during the previous Congress Government's tenure.

Intervening in the debate on budget proposals for 2008-2009 in the House, he said the buses included in the Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation (HRTC) fleet during the previous Congress regime to ply on the superfast routes went non-functional in a relatively short span of time due to low efficiency.

Mr Kapoor said some buses (plying as super fast buses) went redundant even before running for about one lakh km besides leaving liabilities of around Rs 90 crore of the HRTC.

Earlier, participating in the discussion, former transport minister and Congress member G.S. Bali said he was ready to face any kind of inquiry into the bus purchases during his term as the Transport Minister.

Mr Bali said the Budget proposals were nothing beyond jugglery of figures and were disappointing and demanded withdrawal of 25 per cent price hike in the bus fares besides asking the government to make provisions for unemployment allowance for the educated unemployed.

The Budget proposals do not mention the steps taken to address the problems of unemployment, price rise, environment pollution and issues pertaining to women, that required urgent attention, he said.

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