Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has called upon employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to take practical measures to make the public sector undertaking a more economical and efficient enterprise.
Inaugurating a representatives’ meet of the Kerala Transport Workers Union (KTWU) here on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said the KSRTC was going through a financial crisis that should be addressed through all possible means. The employees were not responsible for the problem, but the other factors had to be identified for a solution.
On the KTWU leaders’ plea to clear the Dearness Allowance arrears of the employees, Mr. Chandy said the demand would be seriously considered by the government. Mr. Chandy said the value of service by the three public sector undertakings – KSRTC, Kerala State Electricity Board, and Kerala Water Authority – could never be estimated in terms of profit. “All three directly cater to the needs of the public, and therefore the government will never be able to ignore the increasing demands of these sectors,” he said.
Earlier, a representatives’ meet chaired by KTWU State president Thampanoor Ravi passed a resolution comprising 15 demands for the welfare of the staff.
Demands
It urged the government to ensure proper protection of the staff, confirmation of temporary employees, speedy computerisation of offices, replacement of worn-out electronic ticketing machines, and modernisation of all KSRTC workshops.
M.K. Raghavan and M.I. Shanavas, MPs, were present at the meet, in which 1,010 members from various parts of the State took part.
KSRTC, KSEB and KWA directly cater to the needs of the public, and so the government cannot ignore their increasing demands
Source: The Hindu
