Kochi: The state government on Thursday informed the Kerala High Court that it can no longer support the KSRTC financially and also cannot bear the expenses towards pension for those who had retired from the transport corporation.
In a counter-affidavit submitted before the court, the counsel for the transport department said that the state government had given all possible financial support to the KSRTC to help it tide over its financial crisis and that the government had already done its maximum in this regard. The counsel also said that the government was not in a position to do anything more.
It was informed that though the government was not directly liable in the case of KSRTC pensioners, it had done whatever it could to help them from 2015. Moreover, a monthly aid of Rs 30 crore also is given to the corporation. The counsel said that nowhere in India a transport corporation pays pension to its retired staff from its own income.
The counsel for the KSRTC told the court that pension was introduced as per the directions of the state government. However, the government did not provide special funds or aid for the purpose.
The KSRTC does not have the wherewithal to provide pension to the retired staff. The monthly income of the corporation is Rs 175 crore while the expense, including pension, is Rs 345 crore.
The petition was filed by the KSRTC Pensioners Organisation and the High Court had sought the opinion of the government on it. The petitioners pointed out that pension was not disbursed due to lack of government aid.
