Bengaluru: A day before the proposed ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ protest by employees of four state-run road transport corporations (RTCs), the govt Wednesday evening said it will release salary arrears for 26 months and revise their pay with effect from April 1, 2025.The decision, taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah and attended by transport minister Ramalinga Reddy and senior officials, is expected to cost the state exchequer nearly Rs 1239.5 crore to pay the arrears for 26 months. Ramalinga Reddy said the govt will meet trade union representatives on pay revision.Trade unions of the four RTCs have been demanding clearance of arrears for 38 months — from Jan 1, 2020 to Feb 28, 2023 — without any cuts. However, the govt had earlier maintained that, based on recommendations of MR Sreenivas Murthy report, arrears were applicable only for 14 months. Despite the announcement, office-bearers of the unions’ joint action committee said the ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ protest will go ahead at Freedom Park Thursday. They reiterated that arrears for 38 months must be paid in full without deductions.
