CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation has urged the Transport Department Secretary to fix separate physical eligibility criteria - height - for male and female in conductor appointment in the Transport Corporations.
In a letter to the Transport Department secretary, TNSTEF General Secretary K Arumuganainar said that many women who applied for jobs under compassionate grounds have conductor licences but were denied the job citing their lower height.
"In the Transport Corporations, the physical eligibility criteria - height (160 centimetres) for appointment of a conductor is fixed commonly for both genders. This is contrary to the practices of other government bodies including the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board. In recruiting police personnel, the board has fixed educational and physical qualifications. As far as height is concerned, the male sub-inspector should be 170 cm tall while the female should be a minimum of 159 cm. A woman sub-inspector can be 11 cm shorter than a male SI. But the Transport Corporations have the same height for both male and female conductors. It is unacceptable," he said.
He demanded the transport department fix less height limit for female bus conductors.
"Moreover, the RTOs issue the conductors' licence to the qualified personnel only. We believe that a conductor licence alone should be a qualification enough for the appointment of bus conductor," he said.
Thousands of heirs of workers who died during their service await appointment under compassionate grounds.
"But the Transport Corporations appoint only drivers and conductors on compassionate grounds. Even the applicants with ITI qualifications are not selected for the post of technical staff required by our transport corporation. Government orders issued against appointing unqualified persons in other sections hinder the appointment of workers on compassionate grounds. Hence we seek withdrawal of the GOs to employ all under the compassionate grounds," he said.