Ganesh Kumar loses his cool at meeting, scolds transport commissioner in front of top officials; Sreejith replies by hitting on table

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Transport Commissioner S Sreejith was scolded at a meeting convened by Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar. The news of the differences of opinion between the two is out soon after KSRTC managing director Biju Prabhakar stepped down from his post following a tussle with the minister. The minister openly reprimanded the transport commissioner in a meeting of driving school owners held the other day. The transport commissioner was not even given an opportunity to reply or give an explanation.

It is heard that when the minister tried to scold him in the presence of the higher officials at his chamber, the transport commissioner responded back in the same manner. There was a verbal dispute between the two for five minutes. Later, the commissioner banged on the minister’s table and left from there.

Biju Prabhakar had expressed his willingness to step down following differences of opinion with the new minister assumed charge of the transport department. He had written to the chief secretary requesting this. There were indications that he will also vacate the post of transport secretary.

When Ganesh Kumar publicly disagreed on certain issues, it was interpreted as management’s inefficiency. In this situation, Biju Prabhakar was of the stand to shift him from the post.

The stand taken by Ganesh Kumar on the issue related to electric bus also aggravated the division. Biju Prabhakar, who was on a foreign visit, sent a letter to the chief secretary requesting to remove him from the post of MD, after returning from abroad. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will take a final decision in this regard.