66 protesting KSRTC employees in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar to be reinstated

MYSURU: In the wake of the state government’s directive asking the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to reinstate employees who participated in the 15-day strike in April, authorities of the transport agency in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar have initiated the process to reappoint the 66 personnel who were hitherto facing penal action.
In all, 4,200 employees across the state-run transport corporations of the state went on strike for 15 days from April 7, demanding the implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.However, the government did not meet their demands and all the protesting employees were suspended.
Of the 66 employees from Mysuru and Chamarajanagar who were suspended for their role in the agitation, 56 were from the latter district, while the remaining were employees of the Mysuru Rural division. Drivers, conductors and trainee employees were among those suspended.
Mahesh, a KSRTC driver-conductor, who was among those suspended, said that, while they were relieved with the state government’s decision to reinstate them, they had been deprived of salary and benefits for months together. “We will not be paid salary for the many months were suspended, nor compensated for the benefits we were denied in that time,” Mahest told TOI.
KSRTC Mysuru Rural division controller M Srinivas said that the suspended employees would be reinstated after a Lok Adalat, which would be held at the Corporation Office in Bengaluru. “The adalat will be held roughly four weeks from the date of the government’s order. The case of the suspended employees will be resolved in the form of a settlement,” Srinivas told TOI.
KSRTC Chamarajanagar division controller B Srinivas said that the staff would be reinstated once the relevant orders were issued, and the formalities completed.