KSRTC caught in a time warp?

By Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Can the state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, which is bleeding the exchequer dry, be saved earlier than a doable demise ultimately, and is the state service and its employees caught in a time warp? A comparative evaluation of the income and expense of KSRTC exhibits the query is usually a actual brainteaser. 

According to knowledge obtainable with the KSRTC, its operational income in January 2020 stood at Rs 204.83 crore when there was no Covid scare. But this nose-dived  to Rs 83.12 crore in December 2020. The operational expense of the transport company was Rs 257.52 crore in January 2020 whereas it got here right down to Rs 152.58 crore in December 2020. The KSRTC wants an pressing Rs 971.91 crore to shut its pending funds together with to employees. 

These figures give an perception into the monetary plight of the transport company.  According to Biju Prabhakar, “the KSRTC cannot move ahead with this style of functioning. It has to streamline its workforce and explore alternate revenue sources to tide over the crisis”. 

As a part of revival and modernisation, the  authorities introduced the formation of a brand new subsidiary firm KSRTC-SWIFT for working buses funded by the KIIFB. However, workers’ unions have been protesting towards the brand new firm and strikes to streamline the workforce.

Despite the KIIFB nod for the KSRTC ‘s proposed plan to get 900 CNG buses, the state service may purchase solely 100 buses within the final 4 years.

However, as a result of stiff resistance from workers’ unions, not a single bus was purchased. Now, KIIFB has agreed to offer funds for getting 310 CNG buses and 50 electrical buses, other than changing 400 diesel-powered buses to CNG.  It has set a rider, although — a brand new particular objective car needs to be fashioned for managing the fleet.

If the buses had been to endure CNG conversion,  KSRTC will have the ability to slash its month-to-month gasoline payments by Rs 20-25 crore. The streamlining of the workforce, computerisation of core sectors, together with the scheduling of providers, will assist the corporate deliver down its losses by Rs 10-15 crore. The new SPV additionally envisages rising non-ticket revenues by Rs 25 crore. The new firm will probably be disbanded and merged with the KSRTC after 10 years of profitable operation and by then the loss making public sector company could be saved,  stated officers. 

But workers’ unions alleged that the corporate was engaged in efforts to unload the prime properties of the company. So the million greenback query is whether or not the revival and modernisation plan introduced is a sq. peg in spherical gap or will the ruling dispensation be able to bell the ‘big cats’ within the company?

the lengthy and the in need of it

January 2020     December 2020KMs run/day     16,03,699    7,73,285Buses operated/day     4,425     2,611 Operating income     I204.83 cr     I83.12 crNon-operating income      I1.29 cr    I50 lakhTotal revenue     I206.12 cr    I83.62 crDiesel (litre)     1,24,24,329    54,34,562Expense     I257.52 cr     I152.58 cr 

employees strengthPost     Current     Required    Excess/scarcity Driver    10,506     8,071     + 2,435Conductor     9,897    8,071     + 1,826Ministerial employees    1,061     1,121     – 60Mechanic    4,276     1,793     + 2483Others     323     364     – 41Store     231     210     + 21Supervisory employees     1,658     1,243     + 415Higher division officers     162     151     + 11Total     28,114     21,024     + 7,090