Guwahati, July 6: Assam transport minister Parimal Suklabaidya on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) headquarters at Paltan Bazar here.
Suklabaidya, who assumed charge of the transport department only recently, went through the different sections and enquired about the functioning of the organisation.
While interacting with the managing director, the chief engineer and other senior officials, Suklabaidya enquired about the working of the organisation, the problems confronting it and ways to overcome them.
The minister also suggested ways and means for enhancing revenue collection and making ASTC vibrant and resilient.
Suklabaidya directed the concerned officials to prepare a detailed report on the status of the fleet of ASTC buses and those operating under ASTC and to submit a report at the earliest.
The transport minister also inspected the central workshop of ASTC at Rupnagar here.
Following inspection of the site, Suklabaidya directed the chief engineer (automobile and technical) to submit a detailed report of all damaged buses within a week.
He also instructed the concerned officials of the workshop to initiate steps for repair of the shed and other infrastructure as soon as possible.
Later, speaking to mediapersons, the minister said he had noticed “lack of work culture to an extent” in the corporation, while urging employees to inculcate work culture in order to improve functioning of the organisation in its journey towards becoming a profit-making organisation in a year’s time.
The minister further said that he had, during his sudden visit, found some employees being absent without submitting applications for leave.
“I have asked the managing director of the corporation to take appropriate measures in this regard,” he said.