Kerala's public sector undertaking, Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is in a state akin to the adage 'already frail, now pregnant too'. As per statistics, the Corporation is crawling with an accumulated liability of Rs 3,510.5 crore. On top of it, it has been now ordered by the high court to terminate the 3861 empanelled conductors immediately, and appoint those from the selected list of Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), a situation that brings KSRTC to a pitiable predicament.
Although the Corporation approached the court for a reprieve of 45 days for training the new recruits, all it got in response was strong reprimand from the court. Although it is two years since the PSC rank list came in force, the Corporation was dragging its feet without appointing them, and was trying to run the show with the empanelled conductors all this while. And the court order came when those selected and waiting too be appointed after receiving their advice memo, approached the court. The bench also raised the issue of having a list on hand and not appointing them, and asked what justification KSRTC had in continuing with the empanelled conductors, who were selected under political or other influence. There is definitely an element of injustice towards those selected after written test and interview, and who received advice memo, without being told whether they would be appointed or not. It is also a known fact that those selected on temporary basis were selected without any definite norms of selection. Most of those appointments were made under illegal pressures or favouritism. Of course, this practice is not limited to the transport sector alone. In sectors inluding teaching, it has been a practice for long to keep those duly selected on wait, and instead employ people on either daily wages or on contract basis. It is also clear that governments resort to this short cut to reduce the burden on the exchequer. But this is not a situation that can be allowed to continue for ever. It will be understandable if excess staff are reduced, and the remaining employees are made to do their duty to the full – as expected of an efficient and responsible government.
The economics is simple: If a temporary conductor gets daily wage of Rs 450, a permanent conductor will cost Rs 900, plus other benefits. With new appointments, KSRTC will have to cough up an additional Rs 10 lakh per day. No doubt, an organization that is nosediving from loss to further loss and liability to worse liability, this cannot be borne easily. When it has to bank on public funds to meet its obligations of salary and pension, the additional burden will take the PSU to a deeper crisis. Hence the warning by Transport Minister AK Saseendran that a situation may arise when KSRTC will have to be taken entirely off the road. Not to be ignored is the predicament of the empanelled conductors who get retrenched. In a state already beleaguered by an army of unemployed, new employment opportunities are not coming up. It is also a fact that in the time lag before the new conductors take over in the place of the retrenched staff, people are put to great hardship due to cancellation of services. It is doubtful if the court observation that no training is required and new recruits can come, join and start doing the job, is a well-thought out idea. The situation is also prevalent in which even as a temporary solution to the crisis, employees working in other posts are not prepared to co-operate to run the service without interruption.
In any case, the government and KSRTC management have to find a way out of this vicious cycle. All those who received advice memo are not likely to join duty. Then, it would be a humanitarian act if in the remaining vacancies, empanelled conductors who meet the requirements are employed. Generally, expeditious actions on the recommendations already submitted by Managing Director Tomin J Thankary may help KSRTC avert a total collapse. It needs to be realized that the politics and stubbornness of employees will only lead to cutting the branch on which they are sitting.