Mangalore, Oct 3: Surprising but true, the cab drivers who toiled for 27 days, day and night during the elections are yet to receive their pay.
Over the last five months they have been making rounds at Regional Transport Office, Traffic police station and other offices to get their dues, which stand at romping Rs 15 lakhs.
On April 13, K H Bangera was on his way back after dropping his regular call centre employees in his cab. He was waylaid by the RTO and traffic police near RTO office.
The traffic cop plunged into the vehicle and directed him to reach Police Commissioner's office. After retaining all his documents, they made him slog for 25 days on election duty.
“After 12 days of duty I pleaded before the RTO officials to let me go. I could not be a part of the yearly rituals that are performed by my family to the deities. When I spoke to the DC he said that election is for the country. There are several people who laid down their lives for the country and hence even I should do my bit of sacrifice,” said Mr Bangera adding that he was made to work even after the counting was completed.
He said that the cab fare was fixed at Rs 1,700 per day and arrangements were made by the district administration to provide fuel required for the vehicle at Ujjodi Diesel Bunk.
“When we would go to this bunk, they would avoid giving us fuel saying that the government is due to pay lakhs of rupees to them as well. Hence I ended up paying for 60 litres of fuel,” he said adding that he is to receive Rs 39,000 towards cab fare.
The worst has hit Mr Bangera already. He has lost the call centre job and is in a fix because he had taken loan to meet the expenses of election duty for which he has to pay the interest. It was out of fear of the RTO and the police that Mr Bangera opted not to retaliate.
The saddest part is that the cab drivers do not know whom to approach to clear the bills.
“If we call the DC, he asks us to come to the office. When we reach his office, the PA does not entertain us. The PA informed us that the DC had directed him to say that we should meet the Additional DC. We went to the ADC's office twice and then got a chance to meet him. He instead sent us to some other office. Finally we landed at Police Commissioner's office. The Commissioner told us that the cabs were stopped as per the directions of the DC,” said a driver adding that the Commissioner also said that since the bill amount has exceeded Rs 15 lakh, the Commissioner's office cannot pay such a huge amount.
“The Commissioner said that they have forwarded the same to the Government and the papers are before the Home Department,” said one of the drivers adding that the police commissioner had asked them to meet the ministers from the region and see to it that the bills are passed.
Speaking about the same Commissioner Manish Karbikar said that the issue is now with the government and the dues will be cleared once the funds are sanctioned.
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