Kochi: The Claims Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court has informed the Kerala High Court that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation incurred a loss worth ₹2.43 crore from the damages in the flash hartal observed by the banned outfit Popular Front of India in 2022. The report also recommends that the compensation be recovered from PFI leaders and their supporters.

Several KSRTC buses were vandalised, and services were interrupted during the hartal observed by PFI on September 23, 2022.

A two-member High Court bench, comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and CP Muhammad Niyas, posted the case for consideration on April 3.

The High Court appointed the Claims Commissioner to assess damages to the KSRTC during the flash hartal, which had turned violent. As many as 59 KSRTC buses were attacked and damaged at various locations. As a result, the organisation and its supporters were liable for the service suspension and financial losses suffered by KSRTC, the report stated.

In compliance with a court directive, KSRTC had earlier submitted an official report detailing the income loss and damages sustained during the protest.

Findings of the Claims Commissioner
The Claims Commissioner, PD Sarangadharan, after evaluating the losses to KSRTC, stated in his report that since the High Court had directed the confiscation of assets, any objections to the move should be raised before the court itself. According to the report, KSRTC had operated services on the hartal day based on police assurances that there would be no law and order issues. On that day, the Corporation operated 2,439 buses, which was about 62% of its total fleet and deployed 9,770 staff for duty.

However, the hartal escalated into violence and 59 buses were damaged due to stone pelting and attacks, injuring 10 KSRTC employees and one passenger. The disruption forced KSRTC to suspend its services, resulting in a total loss of ₹5.14 crore. Following this, the Corporation approached the High Court seeking compensation.

The HC had issued notices to 169 individuals whose assets were confiscated in connection with the hartal violence. While some objected to the move, others claimed their assets had already been transferred. Based on a final list submitted by the District Collector, the Claims Commission issued fresh notices to 26 individuals.

As the KSRTC operates from 93 centres, the losses were calculated by analysing daily revenue figures from September 16 to 22, 2022. This assessment estimated total losses at ₹ 3.75 crore, including damage to 59 buses. However, since separate cases are being pursued for bus damages, the losses from those attacks were deducted, bringing the revised total loss down to ₹3.65 crore.

The report then factored in fuel costs while finalising the compensation amount. Between September 16 and 22, KSRTC’s average daily diesel expenditure was  ₹2.85 crore. On the hartal day, the Corporation spent only ₹1.62 crore on diesel, saving ₹1.23 crore due to the reduction in services. This ₹1.23 crore savings was deducted from the total losses, bringing the final compensation amount sought to ₹2.43 crore.