Jamshedpur: Commuters are facing harrowing time as buses have gone off road for poll duty. Hundreds of buses plying within Jharkhand and inter state are ferrying polling parties and security personnel, reducing availability of public transport.
Several commercial vehicles, including passenger buses and pick-up vans, were detained by poll officials and were made to park at the Jamshedpur Co-operative College – converted to a strongroom for the Lok Sabha elections.
The bus owners, who were earlier not keen to give their vehicles to the district administration on poll duty owing to outstanding dues of previous services, have agreed to provide their vehicles on deputy commissioner (DC) Amitabh Kaushal’s assurance. Kaushal is also a district election officer.
“After assurance from the DC that the payment due will be paid in a day or two, we agreed to let them hire the buses for election duty,” said Sanjay Pandey, functionary of Sikshit Berojgar Mini Bus Association.
In the first week of April, district transport officer (DTO) issued a notice to the bus owners to surrender their vehicles to the administration by April 11, 2014 for poll duty. Subsequently the union members approached the DC for clearance of their outstanding dues.
Jharkhand Truck Owners Association has criticised forcible seizer of vehicles for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections by the district administration. Taking a rigid stand on the issue, the association has complained to Chief Election Officer and Chief Secretary and demanded clearance of old dues and ensuring proper security to drivers and helpers.
Citing examples, Uday Shankar Ojha, president, Jharkhand Truck Owners Association, said that in Ranchi over 100 trucks have been forcibly seized by the district administration. The news of seizer is also coming from several other parts of the State. Moreover, several vehicle owners are still waiting for the clearance of dues pending since Tamar by-election. The administration should first clear the dues if they want to take the services of truck owners he added.
�Use of public transport or vehicle to mobilise audience in the political rally or for election purpose should have been completely stopped after announcement of electoral dates. There are several truck owners whose vehicles were seized during the Tamar elections, they are still waiting for the clearance of dues,� noted the president.
Ojha further said that if the administration applies force to seize their vehicles, the association will stand all bus, trucks and other small vehicles in the State at Chief Election Officer�s office in mark of protest.
