Salvaging KSRTC: Minister to try new staff policy
The government was facing a tricky situation as ample promotion opportunities were the right of employees too, the minister said.
Kochi: With the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) again finding itself in a deep financial crisis, the LDF government plans to implement a new promotion policy that includes direct recruitment to top posts, after taking the employee unions into confidence.
"It's time professionalism was introduced in the Corporation. Currently except for the posts of Managing Director and the General Manager, personnel in all other posts of the Corporation are currently appointed via promotion. Often this compromises quality," Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran told DC. However, the government was facing a tricky situation as ample promotion opportunities were the right of employees too, the minister said.
"Our approach is to implement a new promotion policy taking the staff unions into confidence. We are holding a discussion with them and the management next week. The effort is to make half the top posts open to direct recruiting or some alternative solution on similar lines," he said.
The Corporation, after recording an impressive recovery in its financial status early this year, lost the plot and the income-expenditure deficit again rose to Rs 85 crore a month. "The monthly income-expenditure deficit was Rs 110 crore in May 2014. However, after the loan swapping agreement, the working out of which saw the Corporation saving Rs 30 to Rs 40 crore a month, and the introduction of CESS, the monthly deficit was brought down to Rs 32 crore in January this year," a senior official said.
However, the government decision to give 39 per cent Dearness Allowance, cut the minimum fare of ordinary buses by Rs 1 and the diesel price going up from Rs 48 to Rs 60 saw the deficit again increasing to Rs 85 crore a month.