Mamata Banerjee hints at merger of state transport corporations

As per budgetary provision made by the state government, she said, soft loans would be given to unemployed young men to take out buses.

According to Transport minister Madan Mitra, Banerjee said there were plans for rolling out 800 buses for the benefit of commuters.

Transport department sources said that under the JNNURM scheme, 874 AC and non-AC buses would be bought at a cost of Rs 490 crore, of which the state government would provide Rs 315 crore.

Of them, 632 buses would run in Kolkata under the state transport undertakings, 80 in Siliguri, 60 in Jalpaiguri, 60 in Asansol and 42 in Durgapur.  

The five corporations were Calcutta State Transport Corporation, South Bengal State Transport Corporation, North Bengal State Transport Corporation, West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation and Calcutta Tram Company (CTC).  

Most of the Rs 600 crore annual subsidy went into paying salaries for its nearly 21,000 employees.