956 Part 5 of Closure of Private Travels, and the hardships of unpaid Laborers. SOME SOLUTIONS.

Question: You seem to be a fool. Why are you trying to link the Great sculpture of Late Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury, with the Bus of the now-closed Kesineni Travels, Vijayawada? Ans: Late Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury, very effectively depicted the Triumph of Labor. Labor does not mean only breaking of stones. It can include thousands of activities undertaken by humans, in their ceaseless attempts to fill their bellies. Nobody can measure the value of the sweat of the Laborers, though monetary wages may be paid to them for their toil, influenced by some vague Economic Theories like Demand and Supply theory of Wages, Opportunity Cost theory of Wages, Marginal Productivity Theory of Wages, etc. While this is so when wages are paid, what will be the position if wages are NOT paid for eight months? According to the news reports the drivers, cleaners, mechanics etc. working in the Kesineni Travels have not been paid their wages for the last eight months. They say that they were surviving with the daily allowance being paid when they were going on outdoor duty. Now, that the Travels is closed, that source of subsistence is not available.

First, you justify your analogy of the DPR Chowdhury's sculpture 'Triumph of Labor' and the 'Travels Laborers'.

Ans: The toil of vehicle drivers not only has a historical heritage, but also a mythological heritage.
The adjacent picture shows the plight of Mahabharata Warrior Karna, trying to lift his wheel struck in mud, while facing the arrows of Arjuna. Drivers and cleaner of vehicles, the tires of which are struck in mud, or which are punctured, or there is some sudden failure of engine or there is some broken axle / rear springs (in Telugu language, these are called kamAnu kaTTAs), when they were cruising through in drenching rains or in blistering Sun @48 degrees C., face innumerable hardships. We have to do some sort of 'para kAya pravEsam' [A Telugu / Sanskrit / Hindi phrase for a sort of empathy. para=others. kAya=body. pravESam=enter, entry. Gist: We have to enter into the body(ies) of other persons to know their feelings and experience their hardships (sometimes joys also)]. Till the wheels are pulled out of the mud, or the punctured tyre is replaced, or the broken axle / kamAn kaTTa is replaced, their slogging will be LIMITLESS. Though not identical to, the exertions of the drivers, cleaners and mechanics, can be compared to the sweat of the Laborers in the DP Roy Chowdhury's sculpture 'Triumph of Labor'. When the vehicle starts cruising again, their pains will get gradually reduced, and at the end of the day, they return home with their 'triumphs' in memories.

But the above is the story of PAID WORKERS. What will be the misery of the workers who are denied their wages for their slogging of eight months?

SOME IMMEDIATE SOLUTION

It appears that in Andhra Pradesh, or in India, the Labor Dept. Govt. Officials, or Govt. Officials of any other Departments do not seem to have powers to conduct an immediate search of the Business Premises of the Employers who default on wages / who close their businesses. (There may be some forgotten Sections of Law, never implemented by the Government Officials).
If required, the Government of Andhra Pradesh immediately issue an Ordinance signed by the Governor, empowering Govt. Officials to search and seize cash / movables / vehicles in the closed business premises of the Employer. The Ordinance should also have provision for confiscating the Employer's Personal Properties. Workers' Wages cannot wait for the Liquidation of Companies under Indian Companies Act by High Courts, and for appointment of Official Receivers / Assignees / Liquidators. Pledgees / Hyphothecatees / mortgagees should be forced to sell the assets in their charge / under their possession, and pay the Workers Wages immediately.

All the things seized should be immediately sold in Open Public Auction by giving just three days notice to the Employer. Proceeds of the Auction should be paid to the Workers immediately.

Under no circumstances, laborers should be made to wait for the outcome of Court suits and judgements.

LONG TERM, PREVENTIVE SOLUTION

For this also, we have to amend labor laws. At the beginning of the month, an Employer should calculate the wages he will be liable to pay the Workers for the ensuing month, and should deposit the money so calculated in an Escrow Account with a Bank opened for the purpose. The Bank should not allow the amounts in that account to be withdrawn for any other purpose. At the end of the month, the Employer can issue cheques / issue Account Transfer instructions for payment of wages, by credit to the personal accounts of the employees. If this procedure is followed, why will wages accumulate for eight months?

For knowing this, why does Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh require a KAIZEN APP? HOW IS IT THAT: A Great self-declared EXPERIENCED GREAT-Administrator like Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, did not know about the default committed in payment of wages by his own Member of Parliament. Mr. Naidu is not legendary Dhritarashtra, nor Mr. Nani is Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana. What were the Transport Minister, Transport Secretaries, Labor Secretaries, CMO, IAS/IPS Officers doing? At least they ought to have gathered information about defaults in payment of wages, and reported to their boss!!!

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951 Part 3 of Private Travels closures, Future of Public Sector Bank Loans to Private Travels, Future of APSRTC, some solutions

I have no love or hate relationship with any bourgeoisie political party in Residual Andhra Pradesh or India. My interest in writing this particular blog post is, the problems which closures of Private Travels such as Kesineni Travels, Kaleswari Travels are likely to pose to Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, probably the largest Public Sector Road Transport Corporation in India, and the World (in terms of number of buses), and which is reported to be a Guinness Book of Records holder. My concern is also about the problems which Indian Public Sector Banks in India, and especially the PSBs in Residual Andhra Pradesh are likely to face, when their indiscriminate careless lendings to Private Tours and Travels become NPAs. I am also deeply distressed about the problems which the families of displaced Private Tours-Travels Staff i.e. the Proletariat (drivers, cleaners, mechanics, booking clerks, accountants, etc.) are likely to face in an alround miserable unemployment situation in the State and the Country.

It has been found by Googling on the Net, that M/s. Kesineni Travels who were earlier owning nearly 400 buses, have already sold approx. 230 buses, leaving the 170 buses which they now have at the time of closure on April 2017. It is not clear to whom they have sold their 230 buses. If they have sold their buses to other Private Operators in Residual Andhra Pradesh, then probably the drivers, cleaners, mechanics etc. relating to the 230 buses might have been absorbed by the buyers. In such a case, the Proletariat may not have immediate problem of unemployment, but they cannot ask for rises in wages till at least one two years ahead, as their primary concern of job security itself will be in jeopardy.

If the buses were sold to operators located in other States of India, then those buyers may be interested to appoint their own drivers, cleaners, mechanics. In such a case, the Proletariat will have a serious unemployment problem.

It is not clear whether M/s. Kesineni Travels have obtained any Public Sector Bank Loans for the 230 buses they have sold, and if so, they have repaid PROPORTIONATELY their loans to the Banks. Let us hope that they have cleared their loans in respect of those 230 buses which were alledged to have been sold.

Early Reports indicated that they will be selling the remaining 170 buses also. But the position seems to have changed. Now, it appears that they may propose to sell only some buses which are more than 5-7 years old, and retain the remaining buses. Whatever be the case and the number of buses on sale, the first thing will have to be, that they have to clear Public Sector Bank Loans,PROPORTIONATE TO THE NO. OF BUSES SOLD.

Allegations of Mr. Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, YSRCP MLA from Chandragiri, that KESINENI IS DOING A MALLYA.

Reputed English Newspaper -Times of India Print Edition, Vijayawada , dated 11th April 2017, Page 3 has published two reports.

1. Titled: Nani mulls selling luxury buses to clear bank loans.

2. Kesineni is doing a Mallya, says YSRC. This allegation is by Mr. Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, YSRCP MLA, from Chandragiri Constituency, near Tirupati. The reference to 'Mallya' is a comparison to Mr. Vijay Mallya of United Breveries and Kingfisher Airlines who evaded Bank loans to the tune of about Rs. 80 billion and fled to (resettled in?) London for safety.

This comparison by Mr. Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy is ridiculous. The Bank Loans outstanding o/a Kesineni Travels is reported to be just Rs. 40 crore (.4 billion) as against 80 billion of Mr. Vijay Mallya. Besides, there is no proof that Kesineni Travel is a Willful Defaulter. Such comparisons ought not to have been made by YSRCP MLAs.

SANCTION OF LOANS TO PRIVATE TRAVEL OPERATORS BY PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS

This ought not to have been done by Public Sector Banks on a large scale, because RUNNING LUXURY BUSES ONLY FOR 'CONTRACT CARRIAGES' is not economically viable in Andhra Pradesh. A few buses will be sufficient for the purpose. The businesses run by Private Travels in Andhra Pradesh is by inference ILLEGAL, because the buses are run as Stage Carriages, in connivance with SOME Road Transport, Police, and APSRTC Officials. For illegal and illicit businesses, though they may not be officially and formally declared as 'illegal', Public Sector Banks cannot extend loans on large scale, doing Credit Appraisal, taking into consideration, their viability as Stage Carriers. TOP MANAGEMENTS OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS MUST OPEN THEIR EYES, BECAUSE SIMILAR THINGS MAY BE GOING ON NOT ONLY IN VIJAYAWADA AND HYDERABAD, but all over India.

News report: "RTC Staff remind Vijayawada MP On Payback Time"

RTC Employees' Union General Secretary is reported to have said:

"...Nani and other Private Travel Operators have earnd crors of rupees by operating buses on profitable routes but APSRTC incurred huge losses as it had to run services in villages and remote areas. They earned crores all these years. It is payback time for Nani. ..."

"...Nani should hand over all his buses to RTC free of cost. 'this will save the Corporation a lot on purchasing the new buses..."

ONE SUGGESTION WHICH CAN BE GIVEN AT THIS JUNCTURE

ybdonkey's views which are not intended to be imposed on others

Handing over buses to RTC free of cost, as suggested by RTC Unions does not appear to be practicable.

Both the present ruling party TDP, and the past ruling parties Congress-YSRCP-Kiran Congress have all encouraged Private Travels at the expense of Public Sector APSRTC. Anyway, it is all history, and spilt milk.

Even now we cannot believe that, Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu, the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh will be interested to do justice to APSRTC, or the displaced workers of private travel workers, or the Public Sector Banks for their NPAs. Yet, if he is sincere, he can appoint an Expert Committee of Independent persons such as Judges (Sitting/Retired), Valuers-Survyors-Engineers), Private Labor Representatives, RTC Labor Representatives, RTC Management Representatives, Pvt. Travel Owners Representatives, Public Sector Bank Representatives and other stake holders.

2. Market Value, Forced Sale Value (Auction value) of the 170 buses is to be arrived at.

3. Start a New Public Sector RTC with a suitable name such as 'New Andhra SRTC', State Government providing Seed Capital to the New Andhra SRTC. APSRTC also may be permitted to invest into the venture.

4. Convince the Lending Banks for a Novation of their Loans, marking repayment of the loans payable by Kesineni Travels as REPAID , and introducing "New Andhra SRTC" as the new Debtor, with rescheduled instalments. In other words 170 bus loans of M/s. Kesineni Travels are to be transferred to the New Andhra SRTC.

5. New Andhra SRTC has to absorb the employees working on the 170 buses, continuing the same salaries which were being drawn by the Private Travel Employees prior to closure. The New Andhra SRTC can raise their employee wages, when it starts earning profits.

6. New Andhra SRTC should be issued Stage Carriage Permits, and- All India Permits for Inter-State Routes as per rules

7. We cannot have monopolies, because monopolies can breed inefficiencies and complacencies. There should be competition among Public Sector RTCs. APSRTC should be able to compete with the New Andhra SRTC.

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947 Part 2 of aftermath of collapse of Kesineni Travels, how Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu may or may not handle

In India, road transport system, seems to be in a mixed state in the sense that some States like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a well-developed Public Sector Road Transport Corporations equipped with thousands of buses covering thousands of kilometers and carrying millions of passengers everyday, whereas some other States like Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh have very underdeveloped private sector buses and potholled roof-torn bus stations. States with denser network of railway coverage, seem to be neglecting Public Sector Road Transport Corporations (hereafter I call them RTCs). In those States, politicians owning private bus companies seem to be obstructing the development of public sector RTCs. I had a few occasions of seeing some bus stations in a dilapidated and decaying State. 1) Gaya, Bihar. A District Head Quarter City. 2) Jamshedpur, also popular as Tata City having TISCO (Steel), TELCO (Automobile) Plants. In both the cities, I found the Public Sector RTC Bus stands and RTC Buses in a primitive state of maintenance and development.

ANDHRA PRADESH and TELANGANA STATES

In the United Andhra Pradesh State of prior to 2014 June, Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation used to be very strong, with international and national reputation for various parameters of efficiency. Now, we have two separate RTCs-- Telangana SRTC, and Residual APSRTC. Both the RTCs seem to be incurring operating losses, which are mainly attributable to 1) low occupancy ratios caused by cutthroat competition from Private Bus Companies. 2) High incidence of road and other taxes. 3) Failure of State Governments to compensate / compensate in time, for the concessions extended to various classes of bus pass such as a) student passes b) Govt. Employee passes. 4) Not permitting Public Sector RTCs to raise charges in proportion to increase in costs.

ROLE OF VIJAYAWADA BASED PRIVATE BUS COMPANIES IN MAKING APSRTC SICK

Everybody knows that Vijayawada based Private Bus Companies played a major role in lowering the occupancy ratios of APSRTC Buses. The Private Bus Companies were taking permits to ply CONTRACT Buses (To run them on whole bus contract basis for purposes such as marriages, pilgrimages, with predetermined starting point, terminus, with no intermediate boarding/alighting), but were running them as Stage Carriages (With provision for boarding and alighting by passengers, issuance of tickets enroute, employing conductors on the buses). The Private Bus Companies specialised in HEAVY TRAFFIC LUCRATIVE PROFITABLE ROUTES such as Vijayawada-Hyderabad, Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada-Bengaluru, Vijayawada-Shirdi. They have no burden of running buses to non-profitable rural routes, called 'palle velugu' in Telugu (English: rural lights). Nor do they have to honour/issue free Student Bus Passes. APSRTC has been burdened with everything. This lacuna, every ruler of Andhra Pradesh, both past, and present, knows. Yet they do not have any sympathy towards APSRTC. On the other hand, rulers themselves have started owning and running Private Bus Companies in hidden-benamy names.

Related Links, and earlier posts

1. Post No. 488 at this blog .

1. Post No. 770 at this blog .

1. Post No. 946 at this blog. . .

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