JOIN USKerala transport staff protest over pending salaries; Minister clarifies on 'coupons'
Agitated over the non-payment of two months' salary, that too during the Onam festival season, more than 26,000 employees of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are staging demonstrations across the state, along with their families, including children.
Trade union workers also waved a black flag at Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju on Saturday.
While the Kerala High Court came out with a directive to pay partial salary and issue coupons for the purchase of provision items and dress materials from government agencies, a large section of employees and families are opposed to it as many had commitments like loans and monthly savings schemes.
Transport minister Antony Raju said that salary as directed by the court would be distributed in a day or two. He also said that steps to give provision and dress materials to KSRTC employees through shops of government agencies were also being initiated.
"Employees will not be compelled to avail coupons instead of salary," he clarified.
The state government had earlier informed the Kerala High Court that owing to the acute financial crunches it could only provide Rs 50 crore assistance now to the ailing corporation. Hence the court directed that the remaining portion of the salary could be given as coupons for state government agencies-run shops.
The public sector major has been facing acute financial crunches for quite a long time owing to the increasing operational costs, mounting liabilities caused by bus purchases, and decline in revenue.
Even as the corporation has monthly revenue of around Rs 200 crore and the requirement for paying salaries was only Rs 80 crore, the corporation was unable to pay salaries owing to loan repayment commitments. The state government had been constantly supporting the corporation to pay salaries.