Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 15 (IANS): For the nearly 35,000 employees and pensioners of the state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), there are no Vishu and Easter celebrations as they are yet to get their March salary.

Also, there is also no official word from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the delay.

When sitting in the opposition, the Left never missed a single chance in cornering the Congress-led UDF government on such issues.

In 2017, the then CPI-M's State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, also known for rhetoric to pep up public sector units reeling under heavy losses had said that in three years, the KSRTC would be brought out from the red .

KSRTC is going through its worst times now and the State Transport Minister Antony Raju was heard saying that if things continue like this state's biggest public utility might even have to close down, after the fuel prices skyrocketed as 75 per cent of the daily collections goes for paying oil companies.

Since Thursday, the CITU led trade union the biggest in the KSRTC has begun an indefinite hunger relay strike in front of the chief office of KSRTC, here demanding immediate action to pay the March salaries, the Congress backed trade union is meeting to chart its course of action, while the BJP backed trade union has decided to observe a protest on the 28th of this month.

To tide over financial issues, the state government regularly pumps in money for the running of KSRTC.

This month, with salaries remaining unpaid and with Vishu being celebrated Friday and Easter coming up on Sunday, a sum of Rs 30 crore was transferred to the account of KSRTC, but with public holidays on Thursday and Friday, the money is yet to be credited into the account of KSRTC.

"Approximately around Rs 84 crore is required for payment of salaries and even with Rs 30 crores already being transferred, it wouldn't be able to pay all. The government has directed the KSRTC management to see how best they can manage by drawing on their own sources as this month already Rs 200 crore has been pumped into KSRTC by the Vijayan government. So the KSRTC is trying to avail an overdraft, but for that, they will have to wait till April 20th, which means employees will have to wait until then. This month it would be the conductors and drivers who will be paid first, while others will have to wait," said a source in the know of things.

Covid also took a heavy toll on KSRTC and with the pandemic effect receding came the hike in fuel products and then came an order from the oil companies that bulk purchases like KSRTC who gets credit for fuel supplies were asked to pay higher rates than the regular supplies and presently the Kerala high court, early this week has stayed that order and will be hearing the case shortly.

So all in all the highly unionised public utility has been punctured very badly and all the rhetoric of Vijayan has failed to make any impact and contrary to his style of operations, where he now rarely meets the media, takes to his social media to make his view on issues ranging from the state to national and international, but is mum to the travails of KSRTC.