Kochi: The past couple of months saw the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) raking in good revenue, thanks to recent strike by the private inter-state bus operators. Despite that, the corporation has defaulted in salary payment to majority of its staff and also faces an acute spare parts crunch that resulted in over 1,200 buses lying idle in garage.
"A majority of nearly 36, 000 staff didn't receive salary for the month of June which should have been actually paid before June 30. Only a few got the salary. This even as the corporation raked in Rs 200.91 crore and Rs 191.76 crore for the months of May and June respectively," said a staff on condition of anonymity.
A section of the staff under the aegis of the Kerala State Transport Conductors and Employees Organisation staged a protest at main depots like Ernakulam on Thursday. The additional services operated by KSRTC from various depots to Bangalore in the wake of the strike by the private luxury carriers raked in good revenue. For instance, the Ernakulam depot alone conducted 12 additional services to the garden city and achieved a collection of Rs 6 lakh. Meanwhile, the corporation is facing an acute shortage of spare-parts that threatens to derail its operations. "Over 1200 buses are in dock at various depots due to non-availability of spare parts. The situation is same with respect to JNnURM buses. In Thevara depot alone, almost 90 out of total 190 low-floor buses are in dock, a majority of them with minor complaints," a senior official said.
