Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation's buses were used to bring back stranded UP students from Kota, 94 buses of Rajasthan Roadways were also used and a bill of Rs 36 lakh was raised by Rajasthan Government for the same, said Managing Director, UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC).
"Our buses were used to bring back stranded UP students from Kota following UP Government orders. 94 buses of Rajasthan Roadways were also used. Bill of Rs. 36 lakh was raised by Rajasthan government for the same, it has been paid now," said Raj Shekhar, Managing Director, UP State Road Transport Corporation.
"A few buses of Rajasthan Roadways were used because we have assessed that around 8000 to 10,000 students would be stranded there but the number increased. A bill was then raised by Rajasthan Roadways and UP Roadways has now paid it. We received the bill at around May 5 which was paid off on May 20," he added.
On being asked about another payment made by UPRTC of Rs 19 lakh to the Rajasthan Roadways, Shekhar asserted that their aim was, not to run out of diesel when UPRTC buses were sent and UPRTC had bought diesel from Rajasthan Roadways.
"They had raised a bill of Rs 19 lakh for diesel which has been paid off," he added.
Earlier, the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) had written to Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) demanding payment of over Rs 36 lakh for transporting students of Uttar Pradesh from Kota to Agra and Jhansi.
Last month, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government made arrangements for the return of over 10,500 students of Uttar Pradesh studying in Kota, and who were stuck amid national lockdown, by buses.
Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday slammed the Congress government in Rajasthan for demanding payment of over Rs 36 lakh for transporting students of Uttar Pradesh from Kota to Agra and Jhansi, saying, the move shows its "depravity" and "inhumty".
( With inputs from ANI )