Services of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Wayanad were disrupted due to a shortage of diesel at Sulthan Bathery, Mananthavady, and Kalpetta depots.
Thousands of travellers, including long-route and interstate, were stranded at the three depots after the cancellation of services. Local commuters too were badly affected by the cancelation of ordinary services.
Payment delay
According to sources, the delay in payment to the agencies supplying fuel to the depots led to the crisis. At present, a single agency is supplying diesel to KSRTC in the district, and Sulthan Bathery depot alone owes ₹1.5 crore to the agency, said a KSRTC official on condition of anonymity.
“The three depots require close to 20,000 litres of diesel per day. The Sulthan Bathery depot, the major depot in the district, alone needs 7,500 to 8,000 litres a day”, O.K. Saseendran, State organising secretary, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), told The Hindu.
As many as 172 services, including inter-State services to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, are operated from the three depots, Mr. Saseendran added.
Of the 68 services, 11 were not operated from Sulthan Bathery on the day, and most of the services to Kozhikode and two services to Gudallur were cancelled after 11 a.m., sources said. Though the agency delivered diesel at the Kalpetta depot around noon, only 13 services of the 40 were operated as per the direction of the Chief Officer, KSRTC.
“Though the agency has delivered diesel at Kalpetta and Mananthavady, it is yet to deliver fuel at Sulthan Bathery. If the fuel does not arrive by Friday night, operating services from Sulthan Bathery will be difficult,” sources said.
In Kerala, unlike in other States, the KSTRC directly pays agencies delivering fuel. However, the delay in payment will trouble the agencies, as they have to purchase fuel from oil companies, sources added.
