Bengaluru transport body to issue reappointment orders to staff sacked for 2021 strike

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation is in the process of reappointing sacked employees in the 2021 transport strike. The reason for the reinstatements is unknown, however this comes after reports that the corporation is short staffed.

Published on: Jan 21, 2023, 12:13:16 IST

By Yamini C S

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In relief for government bus drivers and transport department employees who were sacked in 2021 after a transport strike, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is re-appointing them in a phased manner, news agency PTI reported on Friday.

Karnataka transport minister B Sriramulu will issue reappointment orders to 54 sacked employees of the BMTC. (HT Archives)

The employees were dismissed two years ago after they were accused of participating in a transport strike - demanding wage revision - in April 2021. An official release had said the BMTC had suspended over 96 employees. However, it is reinstating 54 of them, with Karnataka Transport Minister B Sriramulu issuing their re-appointment orders.

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"The employees who were dismissed from services for participating in the strike for wage revision in the month of April 2021 are being re-instated in a phased manner," the BMTC's statement read.

The 14-day strike had cost the government in millions of rupees and resulted in authorities firing more than 4000 workers across the four state-run transport corporations involved in the strike.

Reports said multiple sacked employees from the state transport department are struggling to make ends meet. A sacked employee by the name of Shambulingaiah had even written a letter to then President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant him and his family permission to go for euthanasia.

The BMTC is also facing a severe staff crunch with over 1,000 buses lying idle because there is nobody to drive them. According to a report, Bengaluru needs around 12,000 buses on its streets to provide effective mass public transport. However, the corporation has around 6,771 buses, of which only 5,660 are in operation presently.

(With PTI inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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