The pensioners of the crisis-ridden KSRTC has taken a tough stand against the government and management to get four months pension arrears by rejecting the management decision to give a part payment of ₹10,000.
With this, the move of the management to pay ₹10,000 to 38,516 retired employees from the loan provided by the government to disburse salary and wages has failed.
The salary, allowances, and wages were disbursed through banks to the 44,000-odd employees, including empanelled staff, on Saturday after a week’s delay.
The move to give a part payment of ₹10,000 to the retired employees was to buy time to clear the pension arrears of May (15 days), June (above ₹10,000), August, September, and October. With the monthly pension bill touching ₹59.67 crore, a sum of ₹238.68 crore is needed to clear the arrears.
The pensioners were given assurance by Transport Minister Thomas Chandy that the arrears would be settled by September 30. The KSRTC was eyeing on the ₹3,000 crore long-term loan from the consortium of banks led by the SBI.
The government came to the aid of the KSRTC as the pact with consortium of banks has run into rough weather and KTDFC and Canara Bank turning away the request for loan.
Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has given assurance to the Kerala State Road Transport Pensioners Organisation on September 24 that pension would be paid along with the salary.
On learning the move to give a part-payment, president of the organisation K. John approached Transport Secretary K.R. Jyothilal and demanded at least one month’s pension. Following this, the KSRTC was asked to withhold the decision.
“We have before us the part-payments made in May and June and does’nt want to fall in the trap again. We had informed that we are ready to wait to get a month’s pension as promised by Dr. Isaac,” Mr. John said.
