First Published May 18, 2022, 4:41 PM IST
ComBefore any new project comes up, the government will conduct a feasibility study on whether the project will be successful. This is because the government is tired of losing money after the project is implemented. Thus, the Metro Rail arrived in Kerala as a successful project. However, the government’s own figures show that last year’s loss to the Kochi Metro was Rs 1 crore per day. Meanwhile, the government is moving ahead with another successful project, K Rail. The government came to the rescue as the losses of KSRTC increased. To raise revenue, the government has decided to start a classroom on a KSRTC bus and provide it for Metro Rail wedding shootings. Just then, the trolls came on the scene to ask if the upcoming K Rail could be barricaded. See Government innovative schemes and then trolls.
It has been years since the government started saying that KSRTC, the public transport system, is in a state of debt. Every year, the government tries to make up for the loss by allocating more money.
But profit and loss figures show that KSRTC’s growth is down. The government’s interpretation is that it can no longer hold on. This month’s salary for KSRTC employees has not been disbursed yet.
According to reports, the Finance Minister and the Transport Minister have started talking about salary distribution. Meanwhile, Education Minister V Sivankutty advised KSRTC to find a new source of income.
This is a project to diversify and reuse KSRTC buses which were left useless for scrap. As part of this, ksrtc low floor buses will be converted into classrooms.
Transport Minister Antony Raju supported V Sivankutty’s idea. Transport Minister Antony Raju said the two departments would work together in this regard.
The first bus classroom will be set up at Manakkad TTE, Thiruvananthapuram. The Transport Minister said that two buses will be provided for this purpose. Bus has also asked for a school in Mannarkkad.
The government will release the bus. Schools only need to buy the bus on their own and turn it into a classroom. The trolls are praising the intelligence of the education department for rescuing KSRTC.
Meanwhile, the Metro Rail, which started with another profit of crores, is also reported to be at a loss. Neither is one. The Kochi Metro loses Rs 1 crore every day.
Metro complained that it could not bear even this small loss. So the government found a new way to make a profit. Enter the Metro Rail Save the date shoot and wedding shoot.
If the question is then what will the passengers do, it will be bitter first and then sweet like the old advertisement of Metro. The question of ‘who’ is forbidden.
With the Save the Date photo shoot trending in Kerala, the government hopes that the gorgeous photos of the bride and groom from the Metro will save the Metro from losses.
One coach or three coaches can be booked. Shooting will be allowed on stationary and running trains. You can shoot while traveling from Aluva to Pettah and back, the metro itself says there are no other obstacles.
But rates vary from person to person. The government needs money. The fare for a two-hour shoot on a parked train is Rs 5,000. Three coaches will cost Rs 12,000.
If you want to shoot on a moving train, it costs Rs 8,000 for one coach and Rs 17,500 for three coaches. Also, a security deposit must be made before the shoot. A deposit of Rs 10,000 is required for one coach and Rs 25,000 for three coaches. This amount will be refunded when the shoot is over.
In addition to the central and state share, the construction of the Metro Rail and Water Metro has been enhanced by borrowing crores of rupees from the French and German development agencies, Hudco, Canara Bank and the Kerala State Cooperative Bank.
The government has found that branding at stations, , and rental revenue from businesses are all contributing to the Metro’s hold.
The government has no hesitation in saying that all the schemes introduced by each government on the pretext of running at a profit are at a loss years later. Because people need to know the loss. It’s all built up with tax money.
The trolls also came to the scene when the losses were high. Before its inception, K Rail was making crores of rupees in government figures. The trolls know, though the government does not know, that it will be in the same situation as KSRTC and Metro once it starts.
So the trolls are throwing an inch ahead. The trolls are already waiting for the upcoming K-Rail to be converted into a pub or bar when it runs at a loss after construction.