Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday stayed its single judge order directing the state transport corporation KSRTC to pay salaries to its drivers and conductors by the 10th of every month and allowed it to instead disburse the wages in two instalments.
A bench of Justices Anu Sivaraman and C Pratheep Kumar directed that the salaries be paid in two instalments -- the first on or before 10th of every month and the second by the 20th. With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on March 11. The order was confirmed by advocate Deepu Thankan who appeared for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). The high court's order came on a plea by KSRTC challenging the single judge's August 24, 2023 direction to pay salaries to the drivers and conductors by the 10th of every month.
In its appeal filed through advocate Thankan, KSRTC has submitted that it was presently paying the wages in two instalments in accordance with a February 2023 circular which was never stayed by the court. The KSRTC has also claimed in its plea that its circular was issued after seeking consent of all its employees and no one had objected to it. The high court's August 2023 order had come on several pleas moved by drivers and conductors of KSRTC who complained of delays of many months in disbursal of wages
