The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is struggling to mobilise ₹240 crore required to disburse five months’ pension to its 38,516-odd retirees.
Full pension for the months of October, November, December and part payment for June and September are pending. The monthly pension bill of the service utility has gone up to ₹59.67 crore.
The pensioners are agitated over the government’s and management’s slackness in mobilise resources to clear the arrears. They point out that the government has been more proactive in providing financial assistance to disburse salary of those on the rolls. The Kerala State Road Transport Pensioners Organisation has commenced an agitation in front of the Transport Bhavan, the headquarters of the KSRTC in the capital. Its units are protesting in front of bus depots in various districts.
The pensioners were assured by the then Transport Minister Thomas Chandy that the arrears would be settled by September 30. The KSRTC was eyeing a ₹3,000-crore long-term loan from a consortium of banks led by the SBI. With the pact with the consortium running into rough weather, the transport utility could not honour the Minister’s assurance. Mr. Chandy has subsequently resigned.
The government is funding 50% of the ₹59.67-crore monthly pension bill and the KSRTC is getting monthly ₹10 crore from the cess collected through bus tickets. But, the KSRTC is not able to mobilise the remaining ₹20 crore for disbursing the monthly pension.
With no sign of financial assistance from the government, the transport utility is looking towards the district cooperative banks for loan to make part payment at least to pensioners. “Uncertainty prevails. There is no word about disbursement of pension from those in the KSRTC and the government,” says organisation president K. John.