Thiruvananthapuram: Biju Prabhakar, the Chief Managing Director (CMD) of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), is scheduled to appear before the High Court today in response to a petition filed by labor unions regarding the suspension of salary and pension payments within the organization. The court had issued a directive ordering his appearance by the 20th of July if the salary distribution could not be executed in accordance with its prior ruling. Consequently, Biju Prabhakar is making his court appearance today. However, it is noteworthy that only the initial installment of last month’s salary was disbursed on the 15th of this month, with two months’ worth of pension still pending.
In order to facilitate the salary distribution, KSRTC has sought Rs 80 crore from the finance department, which includes the advance rent for the payment process. The distribution can be completed if the department releases Rs 40 crore. However, the Finance Department has yet to make a decision on this matter.
The predicament in disbursing pensions arises from a dispute between the Cooperative Department and the Finance Department. To address this issue and in light of CMD Biju Prabhakar’s impending court appearance, the government sanctioned Rs 70 crore yesterday for pension distribution. Biju Prabhakar will assure the court that the amount will be distributed within the next two days, although it may result in withholding one month’s pension and half of the employees’ salary. Additionally, the Chief Secretary has been directed by the court to appear in the petition submitted by the pensioners.
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