A bus for KSRTC from ‘Josettan’; Angamaly resident donates ₹40 lakh
An individual has donated ₹40 lakh for a KSRTC bus, the first by a private donor, to operate from Angamaly to Athirappilly, fostering public transport support.
An individual has donated ₹40 lakh for a KSRTC bus, the first by a private donor, to operate from Angamaly to Athirappilly, fostering public transport support.
An individual has donated ₹40 lakh for a KSRTC bus, the first by a private donor, to operate from Angamaly to Athirappilly, fostering public transport support.
Thiruvananthapuram: In a first for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), an individual has donated ₹40 lakh to purchase a bus for public transport.
Jose, a resident of Mukkunnur in Angamaly, handed over a cheque for ₹40 lakh to Chief Minister VD Satheesan at a simple ceremony held in the Chief Minister’s chamber following Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister accepted the cheque and handed it over to Transport Minister CP John.
Satheesan said Jose’s gesture should encourage more individuals and institutions to come forward and support KSRTC by sponsoring buses.
Higher Education Minister Roji M John described Jose’s decision as exemplary. Jose runs Heman Auto Robo Park in the constituency of the minister. After hearing the Chief Minister’s appeal for public support for KSRTC, Jose decided to sponsor a bus and informed the minister about his intention.
When Roji met Transport Minister CP John on Tuesday, he raised the matter with him and suggested that Jose be invited to hand over the funds directly. Jose subsequently handed over the cheque to the Chief Minister.
Jose’s only request is that the bus be operated from the Angamaly depot. He also requested that the service connect the Athirappilly tourist destination with southern Kerala. Roji M John also supported the proposal.
The Transport Minister assured that the bus would be operated on the route suggested by Jose.
CP John said the Calicut City Co-operative Bank had earlier donated funds to purchase a bus for KSRTC, with the expectation that others would follow suit. He said Jose’s contribution was the first such donation by an individual in KSRTC’s history and expressed hope that more people would come forward to support the corporation.
The Transport Minister handed over the cheque received from Jose to KSRTC CMD Dr PS Pramoj Shankar. As part of the government’s 100-day action plan, KSRTC has opened the opportunity for individuals and organisations to sponsor buses to strengthen public transport services. According to the Transport Minister, buses can be sponsored through local self-government institutions, cooperative societies, companies, trusts, voluntary organisations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.