Srinagar, July 15: The moribund State Road Transport Corporation is again in the news for the wrong reasons. Yet again, its employees started agitation today against the non-implementation of the agreement the government had entered into with them. They held a sit-in protest in the SRTC complex to press their demands. They said they had not received any salary for the past four months despite the assurance of its regular payment, at least for the current financial year. 
As per the agreement—signed by the government, the SRTC management and the workers union earlier this year—it was decided that prompt disbursement of salaries would be ensured for the current financial year, 42 slabs of COLA would be released with effect from 31, March, 2008, and departmental promotion committee meeting would be convened within one month. 
The chairman, SRTC Workers’ Union, Shakeel Ahmad, termed the agreement as a sham. “At that time, the employees received their pending salary, but now again we are without our dues for the past four months,” he said. 
Accusing the government of exploitation, he said, the government had asked the drivers of the corporation to work hard and co-operate with it in making the Amarnath Yatra a success. “Our drivers were literally dragged out of their homes. They have been working hard day and night, ferrying yartris to and from Baltal. But they are being denied their dues at the end of month,” he said. 
He alleged that the corporation was a hub of corruption and demanded a probe in the alleged misappropriations of funds by the SRTC management. 
Shakeel said the government was in favour of winding-up the corporation and wanted to see it dying its own death. “We won’t let it happen,” he warned. 
The employees said that the corporation should take economic benefits from its assets and other immovable property worth millions of rupees. “The corporation should invite the private firms to construct malls or other facilities on its land. The profits could then be shared by both the investors as well as the corporations,” he said. 
Earlier this year, the SRTC employees had gone on a 35-day strike to press their demands which had resulted in tremendous hardship to the commuters, particularly the school-going children, who were forced to fend for themselves.