Outgoing Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju has said that he was able to bring about several major changes in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in the short tenure of two and a half years.
Speaking at the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club on December 27 (Wednesday) after submitting his resignation as part of an understanding within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for a Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Raju expressed satisfaction at being able to implement salary revision after 12 years despite the KSRTC’s precarious financial situation.
He said that some of the changes to improve the KSRTC’s functioning, including the reconstitution of the director board with professional members, were implemented despite stiff resistance from trade unions. The administration did not give in to the unjust demands of the unions which would have put the future of the corporation in jeopardy, he said.
Among the other achievements he listed out were the formation of KSRTC-SWIFT as an independent company under the Kerala Government and the reduction in outstanding loan payments from ₹3,150 crore when he took over in 2021 to ₹2,893 crore now.
Mr. Raju said that during his tenure, the audit in the KSRTC was completed till 2021-22. When he took charge, audits only till 2013-14 were completed. The target of ₹240 crore monthly revenue will be achieved this month (December), while the highest revenue of ₹9.55 crore for a day was achieved on December 23 this year (2023).
545 new buses
He pointed out that a total of 545 new buses were purchased during his tenure. The maternity leave period was increased from 6 months to one year.
Mr. Raju said that for a public transport corporation, “the priority should be providing efficient transport facilities to the public and not netting profits.”
Speaking about his initiatives in the Motor Vehicle department (MVD), Mr. Raju again highlighted the reduction in road accident deaths in Kerala after the implementation of the artificial intelligence (AI) camera project. “The Opposition was unable to substantiate any of their allegations against the project in the High Court. Adalats were organised in all districts in which 8,362 complaints were disposed of. An exclusive numbering series – KL-90 – is set to be implemented to prevent the misuse of government vehicles,” he said.
Mr. Raju also spoke at length about his achievements in the Water Transport department.
