KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the KSRTC to dispense with the service of empanelled conductors who have not completed 10 years and 120 days of minimum service in a year. The court also directed to accommodate those who have been advised by the Kerala Public Service Commission in the order of seniority for appointment as reserve conductor.
A Division Bench comprising Justice V Chitambaresh and Justice R Narayana Pisharadi issued the order on an appeal filed by candidates who are advised by PSC for the post. The Single Judge had dismissed their plea for a directive to appoint them in the posts of reserved conductors.
The single judge while dismissing a batch of petitions observed that persons included in the ranked list published by the PSC, had no legal right to seek appointment against vacancies which were not in existence. Moreover, appointment after terminating the empanelled conductors cannot be sought as they were not made parties in the petitions.
The Division Bench observed that the government order regularising empanelled conductors who had completed 10 years of service and 120 days of minimum service in a year had been approved by the High Court and the Supreme Court. But those who did not cross the above cut off marks were not entitled to cling on to the post after vacancies were reported to the PSC on the basis of the rank list dated May 9, 2013.
The court directed the needful shall be done within one week. If the officials fail to comply with the order they will face contempt. The court posted the case to December 17.