Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) which has been facing a major financial crunch is set to revise wages of its staff. In a bid to cut corners the public transporter has even decided to send surplus employees on leave for up to two years with 50% of their pay.
The public service undertaking would emulate its Madhya Pradesh counterpart's model of sending employees on leave with reduced pay.
Excess staff holding the posts of conductor and mechanics would be allowed two years' leave.
According to KSRTC management estimates, it has 7,500 excess employees on the rolls. The Corporation is aiming at saving Rs 6 crore a month by making at least 3,000 of the excess staff to go on leave for two years.
The two years' leave would not have a bearing on the employees' pension and other allowances.
The crucial decisions were taken at a meeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held with ministers of finance and transport, KN Balagopal and Antony Raju, respectively, on Wednesday.
Transport Minister Raju assured the meeting that measures initiated to trim the expenditure and increase the revenue of the Corporation would yield results from March. The KSRTC is expected to be in the red for at least the next couple of years.
The chief minister instructed KSRTC chairman and managing director Biju Prabhakar to reach an agreement with trade unions on the decisions after holding talks with them.
Finance Minister Balagopal informed the meeting that his department would consider purchasing 700 CNG-operated buses through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
The meeting also decided to implement reforms in duty patterns and other acceptable recommendations of the Prof Sushil Khanna Committee.
