In the Planning Commission meet, an Annual Plan size of Rs. 30,314 cr was agreed. In the presentation made by the state, the following were mentioned, inter alia, insofar as Urban Development is concerened:
- Sagar-Bakkhali Development Authority is being created
- Giant Wheel will be constructed in Kolkata
- Eco Park is being developed
- In JnNRUM-II, State contribution of 10% only should be the norm
A blanket 10% state – 90% center funding of all project as a policy may be too much to ask for...probably it should be a function of index distance of the state from the national average under different criteria such as - per capita income, literacy and other human development indicators so richer/developed states pays more and poorer/under-developed states pay less apart from including incentive factors like a past performance indicator of member states from JNURUM-I projects.
Sorry for being offtopic but found it very alarming. Hence bringing the matter to your notice. I always travel in some AC-Bus to Unitech. Most of them are run by WBSTC, I am not sure if there is any route which is run by private entities like Royal Cruiser (Kaushik Global Logistics).
Almost everyday I am seeing the conductors are not giving tickets to passengers and keeping the money with themselves. Like there is a unofficial deal which happens everyday where passsengers pay some amount less and don't demand any ticket. Corruption has reached to such a level that I saw conductors give tkt to a mere 6 out of 10 transactions.
During office hours the bus are jam-packed and if a valid tkt is given WBSTC can earn a huge revenue. Instead they are losing almost 40% of the revenue per trip this way. I am afraid within some days these buses will go off the road due to loss of revenue.
I don't know why WBSTC don't introduce any surprise check as there in Pune/other states. That means this is a well known fact to WBSTC.
I am giving some examples how it happens: 1> A passenger gives 30/- to conductor and asks for a tkt. The conductor asks where he boarded and he replies Gariahat. The conductor then says the tkt from Gariahat to Unitech is 40/-. And that's the end of conversation and transaction. The deal already happened. 2> A passenger doesn't have change to give. He pays less amount and keeps his mouth shut without demanding any tkt. 3> A passenger gives 20/- to the conductor and nods back to the conductor suggesting him to keep it. The conductor moves on to the next pax.
There are many more but I, in my short journey, was able to note these.
Is it the future of WBSTC rather Kolkata?
Passengers, no matter how much they earn, will be this mean. No one expects them to be a good samaritan. But this needs to be reigned in by strong laws and surprise checks. I even tried finding a WBSTC website where I can complain but in vain. There's no wesbite where I can raise any concern/grievance. We are staying in the ice-age.
Hence I am writing it to you as these buses terminate in New Town Unitech. If you please take up the matter with WBSTC authorities it will be a very good step towards rejuvenating the turnished image bengal.
I travelled in Royal Connect previously, not in this route, but the conductors are very much professional and strict. I hope WBSTC introduces a UNIFORM and discipline to sustain in the market.
For your reference: The bus route where I witnessed these is VS-10 and the numbers are WB 19D 9570 and WB 19D 8377.
You really brought up a very nice topic Debdeep. When the transport department is starving for money, can we really afford to have such revenue leakage?
CCTV as AC buses? No Idea however how much it will cost to install and maintain healthy. If can be extended to normal busses, Bengal can pioneer to control other crimes like pickpocketing and crime against women.
Even I would like to share few such experiences with you.My experiences are mostly with CTC buses and of two types.
1. intentional corruption : The passenger and the conductor both knows the actual fare and gains from the deal where only CTC looses.
2. negligence of the conductor : suppose the ticket fare is 7.Nowadays many time the passengers do not have changes.So preassuming that the passenger won't have the change the conductor says give me 5 rs.passenger gives so and in turn the conductor gives the ticket also.But if he would have said the actual fare is 7 and the passenger could have given 7 rs and in this way CTC could have avoided 2 rs of revenue leakage.What I am trying to say here is that sometimes these CTC conductors are so indifferent and lathergic that they don't even feel to mention the actual fare and because of that revenue leakage happens though it could be avoided.
Solution is not CCTV but get away with paper money. Good implementation of smart cards will help to solve the problem in most of the cases. Bus conductors should carry the card reader to receive the bus fare from smart card.
Right you are! These paper tickets another significant reason of our unclean streets! People dump the ticketrs after disembarking from the bus right onto the streets! Banishing paper tickets will help prevent corruption as well as improve cleanliness.
This one is phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteIf the state contribution goes down from 35% to 10%, that will be a huge relief for state like West Bengal.
So, is Centre going to pay the rest ? Is it applicable only for WB?
It will be great, Sir, if you share future the projects decided under the Annual plan.... other than the 3 you mentioned...
A blanket 10% state – 90% center funding of all project as a policy may be too much to ask for...probably it should be a function of index distance of the state from the national average under different criteria such as - per capita income, literacy and other human development indicators so richer/developed states pays more and poorer/under-developed states pay less apart from including incentive factors like a past performance indicator of member states from JNURUM-I projects.
ReplyDeleteSorry for being offtopic but found it very alarming. Hence bringing the matter to your notice.
ReplyDeleteI always travel in some AC-Bus to Unitech. Most of them are run by WBSTC, I am not sure if there is any route which is run by private entities like Royal Cruiser (Kaushik Global Logistics).
Almost everyday I am seeing the conductors are not giving tickets to passengers and keeping the money with themselves. Like there is a unofficial deal which happens everyday where passsengers pay some amount less and don't demand any ticket. Corruption has reached to such a level that I saw conductors give tkt to a mere 6 out of 10 transactions.
During office hours the bus are jam-packed and if a valid tkt is given WBSTC can earn a huge revenue. Instead they are losing almost 40% of the revenue per trip this way. I am afraid within some days these buses will go off the road due to loss of revenue.
I don't know why WBSTC don't introduce any surprise check as there in Pune/other states. That means this is a well known fact to WBSTC.
I am giving some examples how it happens:
1> A passenger gives 30/- to conductor and asks for a tkt. The conductor asks where he boarded and he replies Gariahat. The conductor then says the tkt from Gariahat to Unitech is 40/-. And that's the end of conversation and transaction. The deal already happened.
2> A passenger doesn't have change to give. He pays less amount and keeps his mouth shut without demanding any tkt.
3> A passenger gives 20/- to the conductor and nods back to the conductor suggesting him to keep it. The conductor moves on to the next pax.
There are many more but I, in my short journey, was able to note these.
Is it the future of WBSTC rather Kolkata?
Passengers, no matter how much they earn, will be this mean. No one expects them to be a good samaritan. But this needs to be reigned in by strong laws and surprise checks.
I even tried finding a WBSTC website where I can complain but in vain. There's no wesbite where I can raise any concern/grievance. We are staying in the ice-age.
Hence I am writing it to you as these buses terminate in New Town Unitech. If you please take up the matter with WBSTC authorities it will be a very good step towards rejuvenating the turnished image bengal.
I travelled in Royal Connect previously, not in this route, but the conductors are very much professional and strict. I hope WBSTC introduces a UNIFORM and discipline to sustain in the market.
For your reference:
The bus route where I witnessed these is VS-10 and the numbers are WB 19D 9570 and WB 19D 8377.
You really brought up a very nice topic Debdeep. When the transport department is starving for money, can we really afford to have such revenue leakage?
DeleteCCTV as AC buses? No Idea however how much it will cost to install and maintain healthy. If can be extended to normal busses, Bengal can pioneer to control other crimes like pickpocketing and crime against women.
DeleteSir,
DeleteEven I would like to share few such experiences with you.My experiences are mostly with CTC buses and of two types.
1. intentional corruption : The passenger and the conductor both knows the actual fare and gains from the deal where only CTC looses.
2. negligence of the conductor : suppose the ticket fare is 7.Nowadays many time the passengers do not have changes.So preassuming that the passenger won't have the change the conductor says give me 5 rs.passenger gives so and in turn the conductor gives the ticket also.But if he would have said the actual fare is 7 and the passenger could have given 7 rs and in this way CTC could have avoided 2 rs of revenue leakage.What I am trying to say here is that sometimes these CTC conductors are so indifferent and lathergic that they don't even feel to mention the actual fare and because of that revenue leakage happens though it could be avoided.
Solution is not CCTV but get away with paper money. Good implementation of smart cards will help to solve the problem in most of the cases. Bus conductors should carry the card reader to receive the bus fare from smart card.
DeleteRight you are! These paper tickets another significant reason of our unclean streets! People dump the ticketrs after disembarking from the bus right onto the streets! Banishing paper tickets will help prevent corruption as well as improve cleanliness.
Delete