HRTC employees threaten statewide ‘chakka jam’ alleging graft by official

Speaking to the media, union president Mansingh Thakur, alleged that an HRTC station officer (SO) posted in Chamba had “extorted money from conductors and was involved in financial irregularities”

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) Drivers and Employees Union on Tuesday threatened to launch a statewide “chakka jam” from Friday failing to act against officials “accused of corruption and address the union’s pending demands”.

The union raised several service-related demands, including payment of pending overtime. (HT Photo for representation)

The union announced this during their protest in Shimla on Tuesday seeking action on complaints of corruption.

Speaking to the media, union president Mansingh Thakur, alleged that an HRTC station officer (SO) posted in Chamba had “extorted money from conductors and was involved in financial irregularities”. He demanded immediate termination of the official and warned that buses would be taken off the roads if action was not initiated within the deadline set by the union.

“If no action is taken by tomorrow evening, we will first shut down the Chamba region on October 8. We will close the gates and will not operate buses. If the government still does not act, we will shut down HRTC services across Himachal Pradesh from October 9,” Thakur said.

The union raised several service-related demands, including payment of pending overtime. The union said that the management had promised payment for 12 months but had released overtime for only seven months. The union also opposed a proposed 48-hour weekly roster for drivers and conductors, saying employees should work eight hours a day but should not be subjected to a system that could result in longer working hours on subsequent days.