KSRTC employees who are deployed on Volvo and super express services do not have the right to demand that they shouldn’t be shifted to other duties, says the Kerala high court.

Appointments are not made to operate services on any specific route or schedule but as an employee of KSRTC. Therefore, KSRTC employees are duty bound to operate services as per any schedule under the depot they are assigned to, Justice C K Abdul Rehim ordered.

The court’s order came after considering a petition filed by P K Shaji of Muttambalam in Kottayam challenging the change in duty as a conductor in a Volvo service of KSRTC to a normal schedule. His petition had said that he was working as a conductor in Kottayam-Bengaluru Volvo service until April 22 last year but was assigned duty in a local schedule from April 23. He had argued that he has seniority with regard to service in Volvo buses.

Information obtained using RTI by the conductor regarding the reason for changing his duty showed that the decision was following a complaint by a passenger regarding improper conduct. The conductor contended at the high court that KSRTC doesn’t have the right to change his duty like that considering his seniority.

The petition to the high court was filed as the conductor’s complaint regarding change of duty to assistant transport officer was allegedly not considered properly.

Declining interference, the high court held that KSRTC employees cannot oppose changes in duty schedules citing seniority. No agreement exists between KSRTC and employees to allow selection of duty of their choice. In the absence of such an agreement, it cannot be said that KSRTC violated procedure, the court held.

@ Times of India

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