Alappuzha: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched a vigilance investigation against an official following allegations of embezzlement of commission linked to the sale of Chalo travel cards at the Alappuzha Depot.

The complaint alleges that the official restricted the sale of Chalo cards to three selected employees and misappropriated the commission due to other staff members. The vigilance wing is recording statements from complainants and is expected to submit its report after completing the inquiry.

The Chalo card, a rechargeable smart travel card, enables passengers to commute on KSRTC buses without carrying cash. The digital ticketing initiative gained popularity among regular commuters and helped address change-related issues on buses. Following increased demand, thousands of cards were reportedly supplied to the Alappuzha Depot.

KSRTC had fixed a commission structure for conductors and other authorised employees to promote and sell the travel cards. However, the complaint alleges that the official concerned distributed cards only among favoured staff and diverted the commission. Each Chalo card is priced at Rs 100.

The alleged irregularities surfaced after a verbal altercation between two employees at the depot escalated into a wider dispute. In the aftermath, details of the alleged commission-related malpractice began to emerge.

Earlier, a separate complaint had alleged that a commission was taken in connection with permitting advertisements for a pilgrimage centre on KSRTC buses. Although a vigilance probe was conducted, no conclusive evidence was found in that case. In contrast, the vigilance department has obtained preliminary evidence regarding the Chalo card commission transactions.

The recent dispute at the depot is also said to be linked to disagreements over commission associated with installing signboards. A parallel vigilance inquiry is underway into that matter.

The unit head has filed a police complaint regarding the altercation between employees and has submitted a report to the KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director (CMD). Immediate disciplinary action is expected based on the findings of the ongoing investigations.