KSRTC should pay salaries to employees by July 20: Kerala High Court

The High Court was hearing pleas by KSRTC employees seeking timely payment of their salaries. During the proceedings, the court found that the KSRTC is not paying the salaries to its employees on time.

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to settle the salary dues by July 20. The Court stated that "the circumstance cannot be permitted to continue in this manner." The KSRTC was forewarned by Justice Devan Ramachandran that if the salaries of its employees were not fully fulfilled by July 20, its Managing Director would have to be available online to explain why.

The court further questioned why KSRTC was being forced into such poor financial circumstances when its employees were performing at levels above satisfactory, as evidenced by the over Rs 220 crore in current monthly income.

"As this court said earlier, it is obvious that the KSRTC is burdened by their prior commitments and that amounts are being used to honour them before the salaries are paid," it said, adding that this was contrary to the spirit of its orders that employees be paid first.

The court also mentioned that the matter had been on the queue for more than a year and that the parties "appear to have, at least prima facie, disregarded the several suggestions incorporated in the interim order."

Additionally, the KSRTC informed the court that it had requested aid from the government and that a sum of Rs 30 crore was expected to be given that day.