High Court Urges Timely Payment of KSRTC Employee Salaries, Rejects Coupon Distribution

KSRTC employees must receive their overdue salaries of at least the previous month, as ordered by the High Court. The court strongly rebuked the delay in disbursing salaries to KSRTC employees and questioned the government’s stance on this issue. The court emphasized that true celebrations of Onam for the employees can only happen once they have received their August salaries. Last year, a similar situation occurred where the court had instructed the payment of salaries before Onam, but the government had contested this order. The government had then planned to provide salaries in both cash and coupons at a later time. The court expressed frustration over having to consistently remind the government about paying the salaries on time. It inquired about the decisions made during the high-level committee meeting regarding salary distribution within KSRTC. The court questioned whether the three ministers had convened a meeting and decided not to pay the salaries. The court also sought clarification on the government’s inability to make the payments promptly, insisting that the salaries be provided in cash and rejecting the option of coupon distribution. The court postponed the case to the 24th of this month.