KOCHI: The High Court has asked why free travel passes are granted to MPs and MLAs in KSRTC. Free travel passes should be restricted to eligible passengers, including students and disabled persons. Justice Devan Ramachandran also opined that the free passes are a burden to the KSRTC that is already suffering loss. The single bench stated this while considering pleas filed by KSRTC employees including R Baji regarding delay the salary delay.

“Why free travel passes are given to MLAs and MPs who are economically advanced while struggling to pay salaries to employees? How can such lifelong freebies be justified?”, asked the court. The single bench noted that KSRTC had informed that the salary of employees for the month of October would be paid in early November. So, the cases have adjourned the petitions to November 10.