Transport Minister Antony Raju has said that neither the government nor the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has decided on implementing a voluntary retirement scheme or paying salaries commensurate with its revenue. The public utility has fixed collection targets in each depot to enhance revenue by limiting operation costs. However, salaries will not be linked to the targets.
Replying to questions in the Assembly on Thursday, he said such collection targets were necessary in view of the financial crisis faced by the KSRTC. While the company currently generated a monthly revenue of nearly ₹200 crore, it had to spend much more to foot salary bills and other running costs.
‘Cutting costs’
Despite registering a record collection of ₹243.36 crore in December last largely due to the special services for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the KSRTC had to shell out ₹272.60 crore for various expenses. The situation had forced the management to adopt various measures to cut down on costs and improve collection, he said.
Mr. Raju said the majority of the employees was in favour of receiving their salaries in instalments in spite of their trade unions’ objections. The decision, he pointed out, was intended to help workers meet their domestic expenses at least partly. The delay in government assistance had often thwarted KSRTC’s efforts to disburse salaries by the fifth day of each month.
‘False affidavit submitted’
M. Vincent of the Congress accused the Minister and the KSRTC of ignoring the apprehensions raised by the trade unions. He alleged that the government had submitted a false affidavit in the Kerala High Court to claim that the decision had the backing of the unions.
The Transport Minister also informed the House that the KSRTC did not intend to introduce a voluntary retirement scheme. “No such diktat will be imposed on the employees as long as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is in power,” he said.
