The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the State government what it proposed to do to make good the losses suffered by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) due to the damage caused by the supporters of the hartal called by the PFI and also due to the cancellation of its schedule.
Justice Devan Ramachandran made the queries when the case relating to the delay in payment of the salaries to KSRTC employees came up for hearing. It was brought to the notice of the court that as many as 70 buses were damaged during the hartal.
The court asked the government pleader whether it would recover the damage from the PFI secretary.
The court also asked why the perpetrators muster the courage to attack the KSRTC buses when such a hartal was held. The court wondered why the people, especially in the State, indulged in such lawlessness. In fact, fear should be created in the mind of the perpetrators that if they damaged KSRTC buses, they would be dealt sternly.
The court also noted that there were isolated incidents of misbehaviour by the employees of the KSRTC because of their arrogance that they were government servants. As a result, public opinion was turning against them. This would have a deleterious effect on the corporation.
