Thiruvananthapuram: Complaints of nepotism has been raised even as the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is set to reappoint retrenched empanelled employees.
It has been alleged that the pro-Left trade union is trying to include ineligible people in the list of 8,000 former empanelled employees. being prepared by the KSRTC.
The KSRTC depots are now preparing lists of retrenched empanelled employees, who had completed 10 years in service and 120 duties, for reappointment. Opposition trade union outfits complained that efforts are on to include those who do not meet the criteria, but are close to the ruling union.
Interestingly, it is not clear where the reappointed employees would be posted. Though it was promised before the Assembly polls that they would be posted in the KSRTC-SWIFT, a subsidiary of the corporation formed to operate superclass and long-distance buses, the government later decided to hire employees on a temporary basis.
SWIFT, which plans to operate 400 long-haul schedules, requires 1,238 employees, who would be appointed for a daily wages of Rs 680, besides providing the other perks and including them in the provident fund scheme.
KSRTC had retrenched empanelled employees based on court orders, including that of the apex court, issued based on petitions filed by PSC rank holders. A petition challenging the formation of SWIFT is under the consideration of the High Court of Kerala, and the rank holders are party to the case. Hence, the court might intervene if the KSRTC goes ahead with its decision to reinduct the retrenched employees.
