FD gives go ahead to merge 371 debt free busses of PUNBUS into Punjab Roadways: Cheema

Approves budget of Rs 73 crore required for meeting expenditure during FY 2023-24

Chandigarh: Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said that the Finance Department has given approval to merging of 371 debt free buses of PUNBUS into the fleet of the Punjab Roadways. He said that the department has also approved a budget of Rs 73 crores for the same to meet expenditures for the same during this financial year.

Revealing this in a press communiqué issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the decision was taken as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is committed to put the Punjab Roadways back on its wheels of growth. He said that the Punjab Roadways had only 115 buses in its fleet and with this merger number would be raised to 486.

Disclosing further, the Finance Minister said that this decision will help in strengthening the Punjab Roadways. He said that as per estimates included in the proposal of Transport department the expected expenditure on running these 371 buses by Punjab Roadways for entire FY 2023-24 was 109.61 crores with an earning of Rs 138.70 crores. ” As per the revised estimates for remaining 8 month this FY, the Punjab Roadways is expected to earn Rs 90 crores registering a profit of Rs 17 crores”, he added.

Reiterating Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to strengthen all those departments which were once the pride of the state, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Finance departments has been conducting regular meetings with such key departments for chalking out a strategy for the same.