THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Transport Minister Antony Raju had earlier said that the government cannot provide assistance to the KSRTC, which is in deep crisis, for paying salaries. With the Finance Minister supporting the department minister’s position, there are concerns among the KSRTC employees about their next month’s salary. However, CITU president Anathalavattom Anandan has come forward rejecting the minister’s arguments. If salaries are not paid, then it would be better to abandon the public transport sector, he said while talking to a private channel.

KSRTC is a public sector undertaking. The public sector is under the complete control of the government. It cannot be seen like another private sector. No matter how hard we try, public transport will not be profitable. It is not profitable anywhere in the world and that needs to be understood, Anandan said. The government has done a lot of things. Such assistance is still required. Otherwise, public transport sector should be scrapped, he opined.

The management is taking unilateral decisions without consulting with the employee organization. Buses are not run during the rush hours, but are simply running services at noon. A lot of vehicles have been bought, including those which are not suitable for the roads in Kerala, he criticized.