KSRTC suffered Rs 8.21-crore loss

[karira]

As reported by ENS on newindpress.com on 19 August 2008:
KSRTC suffered Rs 8.21-crore loss - Newindpress.com

KSRTC suffered Rs 8.21-crore loss

KOCHI: The state is getting ready for yet another hartal on Wednesday. While the government says that it has taken adequate steps to maintain public service during hartal and that adequate and effective protection is given to the KSRTC to operate its services, the RTI information obtained from the government clearly reveals that the Corporation suffered a loss of Rs 8.21 crore during hartals due to inability to operate services this year.

There were 76 hartals including 72 regional hartals so far in 2008. Four of them were statewide and two district-level. During the four state hartals - February 19, May 2, June 5 and July 3 - the number of trips cancelled are 3,181, 3,434, 3,622 and 3,231 respectively.

The KSRTC says that the loss in revenue from the sale of ticket alone is Rs 8,21,41,445. During the two district hartals on June 27 and 20 in Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram, 69 and 651 trips were cancelled.

The revenue loss is Rs 42,37,179 due to these two hartals. Interestingly, contrary to what the state government had said before the court, the police advised the KSRTC not to operate services during hartals.

"It is informed by the police authorities that the law and order situation during hartal days was not so good enough to operate KSRTC services in a full-fledged manner," according to the public information officer of Transport Bhavan.

The Proper Channel, the organisation which obtained these data under the RTI Act, had earlier filed a complaint before the High Court on hartal issue. The organisation in now planning to approach the court again.

"We have decided to approach the court demanding that the loss suffered by the KSRTC should be obtained from political organisations behind these hartals," said M K Haridas, president, The Proper Channel.

Meanwhile, another RTI data obtained from the Kerala University says that it's unaware of any court orders restraining the university from postponement of exam has been received.