KSRTC set to crack whip on staff absent without leave

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 1,200 employees of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) who have been on unauthorised leave absent without leave (AWOL) for more than 89 days were issued memo by chairman and managing director M G Rajamanickam on Monday. As per the memo, those who fail to report before 5pm on December 1 will be terminated from service without further notice.
All depot heads have been directed to serve the memo to their subordinates and furnish progress reports to the executive director (administration) before the stipulated time.
“Genuine cases of health issues will be exempted. Also, medical certificates that are produced will be scrutinised by a medical board,“ said the managing director.
In one of the cases that came before the managing director requesting to reinstatement into service, a medical certificate from an ayurveda doctor was produced after an unauthorised absence of 863 days. A total of 1,260 employees of the state transport corporation are on leave. Rajamanickam pointed out that the KSRTC could not operate more than 200 buses due to staff (drivers and conductors) shortage. As per figures, a bus a day generates a revenue of Rs 10,000. If the corporation could start operating the 200 buses, it could make Rs 6 crore a month. Additional revenue is the need of the hour for the KSRTC, which has been reeling under cash crunch.
Despite having more than the required number of employees for operating a bus, the skewed distribution of the staff members remains an issue resulting in cancellation of services. While other southern states have less than six staff members for a bus, the KSRTC has 8.5, way more than its target of 6.5 employees.
The corporation has also decided to limit the maximum days of leave that can be sanctioned by a unit head for an employee to 14, which is at present 90. The decision was taken after it was found that some of the employees undertake private jobs after availing leave for 90 days. After 90 days, they re-join and extend the leave for another 90 days.
Now, a unit head can grant 14 days of leave to an employee. If the same person applies for leave for 14 days again, it requires the permission from headquarters. for the unit head to sanction the leave Recently , the corporation had decided to sack 17 employees who have been absent for at least three years now.