KSRTC needs to be exempted from hartals
The government should declare the loss making Kerala State Road Transport Corporation as essential service and an all-party meet should be convened to ensure that it is exempted from “frequent hartals”, Chairman and Managing Director of KSRTC, Tomin J Thachankary said.
The hartals were causing heavy loss to the KSRTC which was already reeling under severe financial strain, he said.
An all-party meeting should be called and consensus arrived on the matter, he said. The corporation should be allowed to operate its services without any hindrance. The “frequent hartals” were causing a severe blow to the already stressed corporation at a time when it was trying to make its services viable, he said.
During hartals, KSRTC was not only unable to operate its services, causing huge losses, but protesters also throw stones, damaging the buses, the official said. As hospitals, milk supply and newspapers are considered essential service and exempted from hartals, KSRTC also should be allowed to operate its services, he said.
Even shutdowns called by political parties on local issues, were causing huge loss to KSRTC as they are unable to operate services.
Recently, various tourism based organisations had appealed for exemption of the sector from hartals.
