When superstar Mohanlal moved a road roller by pulling it with an elephant on screen in 1988, it was a laugh riot to Keralites as a big joke. But believe it or not, the road rollers of the Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) are draining the exchequer even three decades after the release of the film Vellanakalude Nadu.
According to the latest audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), from 2014-15 to 2018-19, the PWD has incurred the ‘unfruitful expenditure’ of Rs 18.34 crore for five years towards the salary of the staff of 86 road rollers idling in the state.
Curiously, only 13 road rollers are in working condition and they were used only for an average of six days a year.
Here are the details of the staff according to the CAG. As of October 2019, the department had 26 drivers and 57 roller cleaners, who are “idling in their posts”. In November 2003, the state government identified 140 posts of roller drivers and 110 posts of roller cleaners as surplus and abolished 80 posts of drivers and 60 posts of cleaners. However, they were retained as supernumeraries, the report said. CAG has also pulled up the government for not exploring the possibility of re-deploying the idling crew whose basic qualification was ITI (diesel mechanic), to other departments.
Of the 86 road rollers in eight department divisions, 73 had been idling for a period ranging from eight months to 27 years (March 2019). Of these, 47 rollers are beyond repair, the department retained them. Nine were sold for Rs 13.21 lakh. ‘Failure to take timely action to dispose them of would result in a reduction in their value when they are put to auction,” said the report.
According to statistics, more than half of the revenue of the state is going as the salaries and pension of the employees.
In 2018-19, Kerala spent 55.69% of total revenue on salary and pension while its neighbour Karnataka spent only 28.43% for the same.
According to the 2021-22 Kerala budget, the expenditure for salary and pension for the state government employees is Rs 62,951.73 crore with Rs 39,845.75 crore to Salary and Rs 23,105.98 crore to pension.
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