Issue over pay for bus crew will end soon: Karnataka Deputy CM
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Saturday said the issue of non-payment of salaries to the state-run transport corporations would be resolved in the next three or four days.
Though important festivals are lined up this month, the KSRTC and the BMTC employees have not received the salary as the corporation has been running in huge losses due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and the limited passengers allowed to maintain social distancing.
Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Savadi, who holds the transport portfolio, said, "There were some issues related to the payment of salaries but it will be resolved in the next three or four days."
Savadi said the department has incurred massive losses due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
The salaries were borne by the state government for the next two to three months but after that it was agreed upon by the state government and the transport department to share the burden of salaries of employees at a ratio of 75 and 25 respectively.
"With that arrangement, we paid four months' salary but this month is a big challenge because our revenues have dried up and we are running in loss. When we sent the proposal to the Finance Department to bail us out as per the agreement, they returned it," Savadi said.
According to him, the proposal has been sent to the finance department again.
Sources in the transport department said the annual spending on salaries is around Rs 325 crore.
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CPI(M) rebel Kunhikrishnan hopes for 5,000-vote win in Payyanur
Kannur (Kerala) (PTI): CPI(M) rebel candidate V Kunhikrishnan, who contested as a UDF-backed Independent from Payyanur here, on Saturday said he was hoping to win the Assembly election by a margin of 5,000 votes.
Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the CPI(M) earlier this year after raising allegations of corruption in the party’s martyrs’ fund against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan.
Speaking to a TV channel, Kunhikrishnan said he had announced his candidature as a mark of protest and not with expectations of victory.
However, he said the situation had changed drastically, with a strong undercurrent within CPI(M) votes favouring him.
"The undercurrent in CPI(M) votes cannot be measured. Now people are giving a response indicating victory with a margin of at least 5,000 votes," he said.
Payyanur is considered a CPI(M) stronghold, and a defeat for Madhusoodanan there would be a major setback for the party.
On political violence in Payyanur, Kunhikrishnan said he had been facing it since filing his nomination.
"The people leading this violence should think about how long they can continue it. It is the police which has to take the initiative to stop this violence as part of maintaining law and order. But the police are not intervening at the required level," he said.
Regarding his political future, Kunhikrishnan said efforts were underway to strengthen Left groups, and discussions were being held across Kerala in that regard.
"After discussing with others, a decision will be taken," he said.
Kunhikrishnan is among six former CPI(M) leaders who either exited the party or were suspended before contesting for the UDF in the April 9 Assembly elections.
Elections to the 140-seat Kerala Assembly were held on April 9, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
