KSRTC employees strike called off

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 22 (UNI) The proposed indefinite strike by a section of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees was today called off after the government promised that new permits on nationalised routes would not be issued in future to private bus operators.

The decision to call off the strike was taken after a meeting between state Transport Minister N Sakthan and leaders of the Joint Action Council.

The KSRTC workers had called for an indefinite strike from midnight today in protest against the government's move to privatise nationalsed routes.

After the meeting, Mr Sakthan said the government would not issue new permits in future to private bus operators on nationalised routes.

The Minister said nearly 8,000 privates buses were operating on the routes and the government would not be able to cancel all permits at once as the Corporation did not have sufficient buses to operate on these routes.

However, the Minister clarified that the government would introduce KSRTC buses gragually on the routes.

The Action Council leaders said the strike had been called off on the basis of the government's assurance and warned that if this was not adhored to the workers would go on strike.

UNI CGV AA RP GC2141