JCC of HP Transport Employees condemns minister’s statement

Himachal Transport Employees Joint Coordination Committee condemned state Transport Ministe Vikram Singh Thakur’s statement for holding driver(deceased)  responsible for Mandi bus tragedy. Chairman Mr. Samar Chauhan and Vice-President Mr. Purna Chand Sharma, have expressed regret over Minister statement into the Pandoh (Mandi) bus mishap in which a driver of HRTC and 30 passenger suffered injurys. They said that workers would not tolerate such irresponsible statement at any cost as baseless allegations against the  martyr driver made. They said that prima facie, if this was a human error, then the bus would have ended up in the river Beas leading number of tragedies. They said that it appeared that as soon as the driver came to know that there was a technical fault in the ill-fated bus he immediately started efforts to save the vehicle and the passengers. For which he thought it appropriate to hit the hill by turning the bus from the main road and taking it to another road.The coordination committee demands that a judicial inquiry should be conducted regarding the Pandoh Mandi bus accident. The committee has all these evidences which probe that it was not a human error but a technical fault. They alleged that in order to save him for shortage of staff and spare parts in the workshop, the minister has presented false figures to the people of the state. Because the prescribed norm of technical staff per bus in the corporation is 1.40, according to this, there should be 4690 technical workers for the maintenance of 3350 buses. Whereas at present only 1800 posts of technical class have been filled including Peace Meal employees. On what basis is the Minister denying the shortage of technical staff, they asked. On the availability of parts in the stores of the corporation, the committee says that the corporation has to pay crores of rupees due to the firms supplying the parts, due to which these firms refuse to give parts from time to time. The store is not given even half the amount that is required to buy the parts. Due to which there is always a shortage of parts of the right level on time. There is no space to park buses in workshops for repair of buses. New depots are being opened. The workshop is being run in dust and mud under a tin shed. It would have been better, Minister, instead of hiding the shortcomings of the management, should encourage the employees by improving the administrative staff. He said that sufficient staff in HRTC could brought back it on the  track by comprehensive reforms. It is urged to the Minister that instead of covering up, efforts should be made to remove these fundamental shortcomings, JCC added.It is worthwhile to mention that a part time driver died in the bus tragedy recently in Pandoh of Mandi for which pressure are mounting on the Government to provide him ex- graitia at par with regular Employees as driver left behind wailing wife and a children while giving their life on duty. A preliminary report submitted by the Minister yesterday pointed out that Accident occurred due to human error.