Thiruvananthapuram: The acronym KSRTC, logo and the name ‘AanaVandi’ are now owned by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. Kerala and Karnataka have been using the name KSRTC in public transport services for years. However, in 2014, Karnataka issued a notice stating that it belonged to Karnataka and should not be used by Kerala Transport. The late Anthony Chacko, then CMD, applied to the Registrar of Trademarks under the Central Government for Kerala. It was followed by years of legal battles. Finally, under the Trademarks Act, 1999, the abbreviation KSRTC, emblem and name Anavandi were sanctioned by the Kerala Road Transport Corporation and issued by the Trademarks of Registry.
“The history of KSRTC in Kerala is intertwined with the lives of the people. It is not just a vehicle service. It has left its mark on our cultural life, including in cinema and literature. I am happy and congratulate the officials who worked for this. This is an achievement of KSRTC, ”said former Minister Antony Raju.
Biju Prabhakar, KSRTC MD and Transport Secretary, said that KSRTC can now be used only for Kerala and therefore a notice will be sent to Karnataka soon. Biju Prabhakar told IAS that the name ‘Aanavandi’ is being used for various purposes and legal action will be taken against them.
