₹7,379 crore allotted for transport pensioners in 5 years: Minister tells Assembly
Tamil Nadu: Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankham informed the Assembly that ₹7,379 crore has been disbursed to 24,100 transport pensioners during the DMK regime.
Making an announcement about the transport sector during Question Hour in the Assembly, Minister Sivasankham said:
Since the previous government, the families of those who retired, voluntarily retired, and died in service have not received their due benefits on time. This was due to a financial crisis. Consequently, Chief Minister Stalin ordered the disbursement of this amount in regular installments.
On Thursday, he ordered the disbursement of ₹2,446 crore 46 lakh 80 thousand rupees as cash benefits to the families of 6,867 retired, voluntarily retired, or deceased employees from August 2024 to March 2026. This is a day that deserves to be written in golden letters in the history of the transport sector.
If we combine the amounts allocated for 2021-22 to 2024-25 and the current amount, a total of ₹7,379 crore has been provided to 24,100 working families. Whenever the transport sector, initiated by former Chief Minister Karunanidhi, faltered, it was revived during the DMK regime. Chief Minister Stalin has now taken the right steps in this regard.
It would be difficult to negotiate a single wage agreement during the tenure of a single government. However, two negotiations were held during the five-year DMK regime: the 14th and 15th wage agreements. The AIADMK regime had affected the ‘Pay Matrix’ wage rates.
Chief Minister Stalin ordered its re-implementation in the 14th wage agreement. He stated that a five percent wage increase was first given, followed by a six percent increase.
