Employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) are facing financial hardship due to unpaid salaries amidst the rising prices of essential goods. Taking notice of this situation, the Kerala High Court has strongly criticized KSRTC and ordered them to settle the salary dues by July 20. The court emphasized that “the situation cannot be allowed to continue like this.” Justice Devan Ramachandran cautioned KSRTC that if the employees’ salaries were not fully honored by the specified date, the Managing Director would be required to explain the reasons online.
In response to the court’s direction, the matter has been scheduled for a hearing on July 20. The court questioned why KSRTC was facing financial distress when its employees were performing their duties satisfactorily, as evidenced by the monthly revenue of over Rs 220 crore. It remarked that KSRTC seemed to prioritize honoring prior commitments over paying salaries, which contradicted the court’s orders to prioritize employee compensation.
The court expressed concern that employees were working diligently but not receiving their rightful salaries, stating that this situation could not be allowed to continue. The case was brought before the court by KSRTC employees who sought timely payment of their salaries.
During the proceedings, the court noted that KSRTC had repeatedly failed to pay salaries on time despite previous directives to ensure timely payments, preferably by the 5th or at least by the 10th of each month. The court also observed that the issue had been pending for over a year and that the interim orders, which included various suggestions, appeared to have been disregarded by the stakeholders.
The court highlighted a circular issued by KSRTC on February 16, 2023, stating that employees would be paid whatever amount was possible on the 5th of each month, with the balance to be paid when the government provided assistance. The court expressed disappointment that KSRTC had followed this circular until now.
KSRTC informed the court that it had sought assistance from the government, and an amount of Rs 30 crore was expected to be provided during the day. The corporation assured the court that upon receipt of the funds, they would be promptly disbursed to the employees as their salaries, without any avoidable delay.
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