KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has made it clear that not even five minutes extra can be given for terminating empanelled employees appointed on daily wages in KSRTC. The court said that if the order is not followed stern action will be taken against the managing director of KSRTC. The court harshly criticised Tomin Thachankary without naming him for telling reporters that it is difficult to adhere to the court order to dismiss the employees.

A division bench of the court had directed KSRTC to appoint those who are advised by the PSC from the rank list as reserve conductors according to the seniority. It also directed the KSRTC to retrench empanelled conductors who had not completed 10 years and 120 days of minimum service in a year.

The bench comprising Justice V Chitambaresh and R Narayana Pisharadi passed the directive on an appeal filed by those candidates advised by the PSC, challenging a single judge verdict that had dismissed their plea for a directive to appoint them in the posts of reserved conductors. The single judge while dismissing a batch of petitions had observed that persons included in the rank list published by the PSC had no legal right to seek appointment against vacancies which were not in existence.