BENGALURU: Bus drivers and conductors of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) have complained to the Lokayukta about alleged torture and harassment from their senior officials. They are also planning to stage a protest in front of the Transport Minister’s residence.
The employees alleged that senior officials use abusive words and harass them by not assigning the. The employees are helpless and some of them have even attempted suicide. The Transport Minister has also maintained silence over the issue, they noted, and added that they are planning to lay siege to the head office and stage protest in front of the house of Transport Minister Sriramulu.
The president of the KSRTC employees’ union, Jagadish, said, “Suicide among drivers and conductors is recurring due to harassment by senior officials and the staff are suffering harassment every day. We have lost patience as the department has not taken any action. How many people will have to sacrifice their lives before the management and the government get into action? The officials their employees lives are dispensible”.
Another Transport employees Yogish said, “We have given a complaint to the Lokayukta against 16 officials of different depots including senior unit managers, ATS, attendance clerks. We have complained about these officials asking for bribe even for for assigning duty”.
Yogish further said, “Recently, a depot driver Srinivas attempted suicide as he could not tolerate the torture by Depot manager Dayanand and ATS Komala. Now the driver is undergoing treatment under Intensive Care Unit”.
“In another incident, on January 27, driver Ranganath of R R Nagar depot had attempted suicide and is still undergoing treatment in hospital. In the last five months, three drivers have ended their lives while two have attempted suicide”, he added
“Despite all these incidents, none of the divisional controllers or senior officers are bother about looking into the issue. They don’t even inquire into the wellbeing of the employees”, said Yogish.