Punjab Government has approved a significant salary hike for 1,148 employees of the Punjab Roadways Transport Corporation (PRTC). The employees, who have been serving continuously for over a year, will now receive an increment of Rs 2,500 along with an additional 10 percent increase in their salaries.
The decision was announced after a critical meeting between the PRTC Contract Workers Union, chaired by PRTC chairman Ranjodh Singh Hadana, and Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) DK Tiwari, PRTC managing director Bikramjit Singh Shergill, and general manager Maninderjit Singh Sidhu, were also present during the deliberations.
Bhullar highlighted the importance of employee satisfaction in driving the state’s progress. “A nation progresses when its citizens are happy. This salary hike is a testament to our government’s commitment to uplifting the workforce and ensuring fair compensation,” he stated.
The salary increment proposal was tabled during a Board of Directors meeting and received unanimous approval. Directives for implementing the hike had already been issued to seven departments, ensuring swift execution, he said.
Beyond the immediate salary increment, the Punjab Government has initiated steps to regularize contract employees and ensure salary uniformity across PRTC. Minister assured that a comprehensive policy for regularizing employees under service rules is in the works, with the related file to be reviewed by the Advocate General of Punjab.
A follow-up meeting with senior officials and union representatives will be held soon to finalize the policy. The government has also addressed other key demands raised by contract workers, including adding new buses to the PRTC fleet to boost operations; regularizing contract employees to provide job security; removing employees from the waiting list and assigning them active duties; and increasing commissions for advance booking agents.
Emphasizing fairness of salary revision, PRTC chairman Hadana noted that drivers would see an increase of Rs 2,500, while other categories of employees would receive increments proportionate to their roles, including a further 30 percent hike for specific groups.
Previously, employees hired after September 15, 2021, were compensated only with minimum wages, which created disparities in remuneration. To address this issue, the Board of Directors decided to implement the Rs 2,500 increment and the additional 10 percent hike for employees who have been continuously employed for over a year. However, the changes will apply prospectively, and no arrears will be paid for past periods.
