HC asks MTC to appoint destitute widow as bus conductor

Chennai, Aug 19 (UNI) Madras High Court today directed state-owned Metropolitian Transport Corporation (MTC) here to appoint a destitute widow as Bus Conductor.

Allowing a writ petition filed by Ms B Kali Jothi, Mr Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar also directed the General Manager (GM) MTC to give the appointment orders within two weeks from the date of receipt of the court order.

In her petition Ms Jothi said she was a destitute widow. Her husband died in 1990 leaving behind her and two daughters. Having secured MA Degree and a conductor licence, she registered her name in the Employment Exchange.

The MTC called her for an interview for the post of bus conductor on March 12. However, she was not selected.

According to the petitioner, there were 250 vacancies with 75 posts earmarked for women.

The petitoner was neither informed of the selection or non-selection and on enquiry from officials, she was informed the MTC took a policy decision not to recruit any women candidates for the post of conductor.

On her earlier petition, the High Court directed the MTC to consider her representation following which Transport Corporation called her for an interview.

She was disqualified since her performance in the personal interview was below average.

Of 75 vacancies for women,the corporation appointed only three candidate. Hence, she sought a direction to the corporation to appoint her as a conductor.

While passing the order, the judge said as per GO dated February 17, 1989, a minimum of 30 per cent of vacancies in Government Department and Government-owned undertakings, which are to be filled through direct recruitment, shall be set apart for women candidates irrespective of the fact whether the rule of reservation applied to the posts or not.

Being a destitute widow, she was denied appointment only on the ground she had not secured the minimum of five marks in the interview.

Having regard to the fact no minimum mark was prescribed under any rule for selection to the post of conductor, the non-selection (of the petitioner) was to be treated as illegal, the Judge observed.

UNI XR GM RL ND1954