The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Din over bus fare hike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Din over bus fare hike

Special Correspondent

‘Hike is in keeping with study’

Government accused of helping private bus operators
Quantum of hike minimum: Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members trooped into the well of the Assembly and attempted to stall the proceedings with sloganeering on Friday to register their protest against the government decision to raise bus fares.

The protest demonstration, lasting almost half-an-hour, was marked by continued sloganeering, tearing of Assembly documents and throwing of files in the air. It could not, however, divert the attention of the treasury benches who were singularly focussed on adopting a resolution calling upon the Centre to backtrack from the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

Strong offensive

The Opposition appeared to work to a plan from the beginning and the State Cabinet’s decision to hike the bus fares on Thursday came in handy to mount a strong offensive against the government and to avoid participating in the voting on the resolution on the nuclear deal listed as the second resolution of the day. The treasury benches also seemed to have done its home work and its job was made easy when P. Viswan (CPI-M), whose resolution was supposed to come up for discussion first, failing to appear in the House. That facilitated consideration of the resolution on the nuclear deal moved by V.N. Vasavan, also of the CPI(M).

But the Opposition members remained unmindful of the taunts from the treasury benches and kept on shouting slogans questioning the government’s decision to jack up the bus fares. The issue was raised in the form of a notice for an adjournment motion by K. Sivadasan Nair (Congress), who made a very strong case for the Opposition marshalling facts and figures. He accused the government of having gone much beyond the need of the hour with its fare hike to help the private operators rake in huge profits.

Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas rebutted the charges and said the dosage of hike was the minimum essential to keep the public transport system working and to prevent the Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) from sinking consequent upon all-round increase in operation costs, particularly the sharp increase in the price of diesel. Although the Centre had increased diesel price twice earlier, the government had not gone in for any fare hike and the hike now was just enough to cover the gap in revenue and expenditure following the latest diesel price hike, he explained.

Reeling out the relevant figures, the Minister said the fare hike was in keeping with the Price Index for Stage Carriage Operations (PISCO) study done by NATPAC and was low when compared to the fares obtaining in most other South India States. The allegation that the government was trying to help the private bus operators would suit the previous UDF government which had raised the fares three times, he contended.

Speaking shortly before the commotion began, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said the problem was one of management and accused the government of having placed heavy additional burden on the people who were already reeling under a major price spiral. Undeterred by the commotion, Speaker K. Radhakrishnan went ahead with the business and took up the resolution on the nuclear deal, facilitating a short discussion on it and its adoption amidst sloganeering from the well of the House.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section