Assam government owes over Rs 200 crore in pension arrears to 1,400 Ex-ASTC employees
More than 1,400 retired employees of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) continue to wait for their pension payments as Assam government dues have ballooned to over ₹200 crore. For these former employees, who served decades, the delayed pensions are not only a financial strain but also a painful betrayal by the government they once worked for with dedication.
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Retirees, some of whom have been waiting for years, are now at their wits’ end, saying they feel abandoned in their struggle to obtain the pensions they were promised. Many of these elderly pensioners, who rely on the funds for basic needs, are facing financial hardships.
“We have not received our pensions for years,” said Tapan Baishya, one of the retired employees, talking to GPlus. “We are being forced to repeatedly beg for what is rightfully ours. The government tells us there are no funds, but it is our hard-earned money. We cannot keep waiting forever.”
Another pensioner, Dharani Kalita, said, “Whenever we ask them, they say they do not have funds; We have dedicated years of our lives to this job, only to face an uncertain future in our old age.”
The frustration among ASTC retirees has led many to consider staging fresh protests to draw attention to their plight. A retiree, who left ASTC in 2018, explained, “We will launch a protest again soon if required. It is our right to get our pension money from our department. Why did we even work for the government if we do not receive our pension amount?”
For many of these retirees, the unpaid pensions are not just a financial issue, but a moral one. Several say that the delay in pension disbursement is a violation of their basic rights. Protests have been held in the past to press for pension payments, but the issue remains unresolved.
However, talking to GPlus, a senior official from ASTC acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “We are doing as much as we can. We have requested the government to release the funds. It is now more than Rs 200 crore as dues continue to rise, given that more than 1,400 employees have not received their money. However, whenever we receive funds from the government, we release the money phase-wise.”
In 2023, the crisis within ASTC grew deeper when over 700 contractual employees were laid off. These employees staged a protest in Guwahati after they were terminated from service by ASTC, reportedly following findings that their appointments had been illegal. The mass firing added to the sense of instability surrounding ASTC employment and further eroded trust in the government’s commitment to its workers, both active and retired.
The layoffs have compounded frustrations among retirees, who see the cuts as indicative of the government’s lack of support for ASTC employees. Many laid-off workers had been with ASTC for years, dedicating themselves to a corporation struggling with financial constraints, only to be removed without a safety net.
The state-run ASTC, once a backbone of public transport in Assam, has seen a gradual decline in recent years due to financial mismanagement and declining support from the state government. A report on ASTC finances last year indicated that revenue from the transport body is far below expectations, with much of its fleet aging and needing maintenance or replacement. This budgetary constraint has also impacted employee pensions, with no mechanism in place for regular pension fund allocations.
A source from Assam Government Pensioner's Association talking to GPlus said, “This crisis shows a lack of planning and prioritisation within the government." He further added, “Pensions should not be treated as optional, and there must be a structural change that secures pension funds to give retirees the dignity they deserve.”
As revenues dip and operational costs rise, the corporation’s pension obligations seem to have fallen to the bottom of the priority list. Reports from last year paint a bleak picture of ASTC’s finances, with an aging fleet and inadequate income to sustain even basic maintenance. If ASTC is truly the backbone of public transport in Assam, why hasn’t the government acted sooner to secure its operations and ensure the welfare of its workers?
The larger question is: When will the Assam government take responsibility and show accountability to the very employees who once served it faithfully? Retirees and laid-off workers alike are demanding not just their dues but the respect and fairness they deserve after years of service. It’s time for the government to make good on its promises and address this ongoing crisis before it loses even more trust among its current and former employees. The people of Assam deserve answers, and, above all, they deserve leadership that values its workforce and upholds its commitments.