The KSRTC is in a catch-22 situation following the PSC’s issuance of the advice memo for 9,300 conductors as the Corporation, as of now, has vacancies for around 3,500 posts only.
While KSRTC said that it had committed an arithmetical error while notifying vacancies and the PSC had been apprised of the fact, the latter had been taking a stand that what it had been expected to do was to complete the recruitment procedures as per the rule and issue advice memos for vacancies as per the notification.
KSRTC MD, K G Mohanlal said that the Corporation was confident that the PSC would take an appropriate decision as the KSRTC was not in a position to give job to 9,300 persons. The arithmetical error was committed not during his tenure and he had initiated action against the erring officials, he said.
PSC secretary P C Binoy told ‘Express’ that PSC had done what it was expected to do.“We have to strictly comply with provisions of rules prepared by government. If it says it has 9,300 vacancies, we are required to conduct the recruitment process in a transparent and just manner and issue advise memos to the same number of candidates,” he said. It was the KSRTC’s responsibility to handle the situation and they had no role once advice memo was issued. The government or the KSRTC could not claim that it had committed a mistake in assessing vacancies once notification was issued, he said.
There are unconfirmed reports that large number of candidates who received the advice memo had already intimated the PSC that they were not joining duty. Such candidates (NJDs) numbering over 5,000 may bring some relief to the KSRTC which is trying to wriggle out of the situation. However,PSC didn’t confirm this report.