The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is on the verge of closure, thanks to the neglect on the part of the Kerala government towards the State-owned transport utility, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has said.
Most of the operational schedule of the buses of the corporation had been cancelled, he said in Kochi on Sunday. The corporation was unable to pay the salary and pension. While the State government handed over the profit-making routes to the new company, KSRTC-SWIFT, the corporation was handed down the non-profitable sectors for operation, he said.
The State government could not run away from the responsibility of the crisis in the corporation. The government failed to bail out the corporation from the crisis, he alleged.
Mr. Satheesan claimed that the State government had eventually accepted the United Democratic Front’s stance that the SilverLine high-speed-rail project was not feasible for the State. The Opposition was keen to know more about the new rail project that was now being discussed. The State government should make its stance clear on the new proposal. All that was available regarding the new project was a note from E. Sreedharan, the former head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, he said.
Mr. Satheesan alleged that the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation was also on the verge of downing shutters. No provisions were available at Supplyco even as the State was experiencing a rise in prices of essential commodities. The State government had failed to intervene in the market to bring down the prices of essential commodities. With no consumer goods, including foodgrains, available at Consumerfed and Supplyco, the market intervention efforts of the State government had failed, he said.
Political gains
The Leader of the Opposition alleged that the CPI(M) was attempting to use the campaign against the Uniform Civil Code for political gains. Various religious organisations attended the meeting as it was convened by the party which was in power in the State. The CPI(M) leaders should remember that some of its leaders had earlier canvassed for the implementation of the code, he said.
