Sasi Nair  KP

 

Trivandrum (Kerala):The state finance department has decided to provide Rs 240 crore to KSRTC as a bail-out package. Reeling through dire financial straits, the department was unable to pay the pensions to their ex employees.The proposed project report for the development and renovation work soon to be submitted to the finance department. 

 

The finance department would channelize the cess collected on tickets to provide insurance covers to the passengers. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the chief minister Umman Chandi recently in the state capital. The other ministers who were present there were KM. Mani, Thiruvanjoor Radhakrishnan, besides others.

 

The department had earlier taken the decision that the fund would not be provided to the KSRTC unless they augment the revenue for the department. Besides, they were forbidden to pay pensions to their ex employees for three months. However, The Chief Minister is forced to intervene into the matter.

 

Kerala minister,Thiruvanjur Radhakrishnan has played an important role in the entire episode that facilitated the sanctioning of Rs 240 crore to the ailing KSRTC. Government was forced to take the decision in favour of KSRTC as the organization was in its worst financial phase. Meanwhile, the finance department had decided that the fund to the KSRTC would not be solely for the pension purpose, rather it would also include the development and renovation works. 

 

On Friday next, the report will be submitted to the finance department which will take decision regarding this.   Instructions were there to put cess on tickets in order to raise fund for pension. 

 

Besides this, the KSRTC is inviting flak for its poor security records. The passengers even dread to travel in the state run transport buses as these are prone to theft and other serious crimes. KSRTC decided it to provide security cover to the passengers travelling in their buses .Following this, the KSRTC has decided to take premium as cess for group insurance and those who obtain tickets will be under insurance cover. It will help the victims who suffer minor accidents and the victims of major accidents will be benefitted by the concerned tribunal.

 

The cess will be implemented for tickets costing over Rs 15 at the rate of Rs one per ticket. On tickets worth over Rs 25 value, it will be Rs 2; above Rs 50 it will be Rs 3. And beyond Rs 75 it will be Rs 4 per ticket. And above Rs 100 the cess will be at the rate of Rs 5 per ticket. If implemented, this would generate Rs.12 crore revenue for the department, which could be utilized for the employees’ pension schemes. 

 

A far as renovation of KSRTC is concerned, the finance department has proposed to earmark Rs 20 crore funds subject to the equal amount to be contributed by KSRTC.