Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has terminated 2,108 empanelled drivers from service after a deadline set by the Supreme Court on a case over it expired. The action could affect the KSRTC services across the southern state even as it throws open job opportunities for candidates who cleared the Kerala Public Service Commission's recruitment campaign for driver posts.
As there are legal hurdles in recruiting temporary drivers, the transport ministry's office has informed that it would try to assign contract workers for the job for now. Till then, there could be shortage of drivers at various KSRTC depots across the state. Authorities said workers' offs have been cut short and the schedules adjusted to resolve the crisis.
The High Court had ordered for the dismissal of 3,861 empanelled conductors followed by drivers after those in the PSC rank list filed a complaint. Though the government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, the apex court granted only time till June 30 to terminate the drivers from service.
"The KSRTC shall not operate with empanelled drivers when those in the rank list of the PSC are eager and willing to join duty, if advised for appointment, who have been kept on tenterhooks for long," the HC had observed.
In April, while considering a batch of pleas led by job aspirants, seeking regular appointments from the PSC list, a division bench, comprising Justices V Chitambaresh and A M Babu, had directed the KSRTC to appoint those who cleared the PSC selection process for the driver posts.
Subsequently as many as 1,480 drivers were terminated in the south zone, 257 in the central zone and 371 in the north. Apart from the drivers in the three zones, 300 people recruited from the PSC rank list as empanelled drivers too have to be ousted. Around 200 workers who completed 79 days of service were terminated in the first phase.
