KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday held that the KSRTC can appoint, if law permits, candidates through the employment exchange anew or permit the requisite number of empanelled conductors to serve on ad-hoc basis till the completion of appointment through the PSC.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice V Chitambaresh and Justice R Narayana Pisharadi, observed that the PSC advisees could not have been kept waiting on tenterhooks for long by allowing the so-called ‘empanelled conductors’ to occupy the vacant posts. The empanelled conductors are purely temporary hands appointed on an ad-hoc basis through the employment exchange earlier for a limited period of 180 days only.
The court said that KSRTC merrily allowed the temporary hands to continue even after the expiry of the stipulated period, in blatant violation of the Service Rules. No other state corporation permits candidates via the employment exchange to overstay beyond 180 days, by keeping PSC advisees waiting for appointment.
The task of recruitment at the KSRTC is entrusted with the PSC. There cannot be an alternate stream for recruitment by permitting the employment exchange hands to overstay and regularise them. The empanelled conductors submitted there will still be permanent vacancies even after appointing the PSC advisees, who turned up the other day. The court also noted 800 permanent employees of the KSRTC were enjoying a long vacation which was abominable. “It is up to the KSRTC to take immediate steps to notify the vacant posts,” said the HC.
The court also allowed the petition filed by group of empanelled conductors and unions seeking to implead in the case.
The court issued the order on the appeals filed by candidates who received advise memo citing delay in appointing them in KSRTC. The case was posted to January 7.