KSRTC asks CAG to rectify errors in audit report

n a strongly-worded letter to the Principalfrom the Motor Vehicles Department based on the
Accountant-General (Audit), Kerala, KSRTC chairmanstage carriages paying tax and the share of KSRTC
and managing director T P Senkumar said that despitewill be reworked accordingly. Though the data was
furnishing clear data during the exit meeting, erroneouscollected and forwarded, the corrected version was
observations in the preliminary report got published asnot considered, the letter said.Similarly, the observation
the final report thereby causing irreparable damages tothat the percentage of over-age buses in 2008-09 as
the management of the Corporation. A copy of the26.26 percent was not true. ‘'We use the fleet up
letter was obtained by ‘Express' in reply to a queryto 13 years even though it can be used for 15 years
under the RTI Act. This paper, on April 5, had exposedas per the Motor Vehicle Rules. As on March 31, 2009,
the contradictions in the performance audit tabled inthe Corporation had a fleet strength of 5,115 buses out
the Assembly by the CAG and the claims made byof which only 236 buses were 13 years old, which is
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.The report said thatonly 4.61 percent and not 26.26 percent,'' the letter said.
the share of KSRTC Online Booking in passengerIt also added that the fleet utilisation of the Corporation
transport operations in the State had declined fromhad increased to 90.46 percent. ‘'When the truth is
13.77 percent in 2004-05 to 12.86 percent in 2008-09that the performance and efficiency increased
owing to operational inefficiency and lack of effectivecompared to the previous years, findings of the highest
monitoring by the top management. But, in reality, thebody in audit happened to be just the reverse and
share grew up to 27.66 percent from the 13 percentcaused irreparable damages. Kingfisher Airlines
share it had four years ago.As per the CAG report,Booking Even the conclusions were drawn wrongly
the number of private buses in the State duringbased on the present strategies to improve. So, in
2008-09 was 34,648. In the letter, citing the report ofview of the facts, there is a strong case to reveal the
Motor Vehicles Department, the KSRTC managingtruth and immediate action should be taken to expunge
director pointed out that the number of private busesthe false observations from the report,'' the letter
during the period was only 13,377 and this clearlysaid.Senkumar, when contacted, told ‘Express' that
showed that the Corporation enjoyed 27.66 percentthe Corporation had not yet received any reply from
share in public transport.In the exit meeting, athe Principal Accountant-General (Audit) to the letter,
consensus was arrived to collect the correct figureswhich was sent on March 29, 2010.