THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has reserved the post of Joint Regional Transport Officer, an entry-level management post in the department, for those with technical qualification. This was done by amending the Special Rules for the Kerala Transport Service, 1981 to prescribe the qualification. As per the order, a diploma in automobile engineering or mechanical engineering and a heavy vehicle driving licence are the necessary qualification.
“Appointment of persons without technical knowledge from the post of joint RTO to Joint Transport Commissioner is extremely detrimental to the functioning of the department and is against the public interest,” said the order issued by the transport secretary Biju Prabhakar. “Those who have entered the service without qualification will be now be reassigned to administrative or non-technical posts, as far as possible,” it said.
Prior to the issue of this order, ministerial and technical officers were considered for the joint RTO posts, though the nature of the job require technical know how. However, a Supreme Court committee on road safety in 2019 demanded the post to be reserved for those with technical knowledge.
Around 1,400 ministerial officers, who have been excluded from promotion following the amendment, observed a black day on Wednesday. “It was illegal to amend special rules after the model code of conduct for election has come into force,” said a statement issued by the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department Staff Association.
