Amid outrage over the alleged rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a parked bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Pune, an official said that the transporter does not have a Chief Security and Vigilance Officer (CSVO) for almost three years.
The post has been lying vacant since the retirement of CSVO MK Bhosale, a DIG rank officer, on June 30, 2022. "The post, which was of IG rank, was downgraded to that of DIG for Bhosale. Since his retirement almost three years ago, the CVSO post in MSRTC has been vacant. The post of Chief Security Officer was prevalent since 1949 before the nomenclature was changed to Chief Security and Vigilance Officer," an official told news agency PTI.
Post of ‘critical importance’
The position is now held by Nandkumar Kolarkar, General Manager of Mechanical Engineering, as an additional charge. The official said that due to its critical importance, senior Indian Police Service officers once headed it.
Kolarkar is also the General Manager (Stores and purchases), the official said, hinting at the possibility of conflict of interest in operations. “One officer is handling three posts simultaneously. Considering the massive security and vigilance-related work at MSRTC, the post must have an officer of IG rank,” he said.
The official also said that the MSRTC's fleet strength has gone down from 18,500 buses to 15,000 over the years. Alleging that the agency did not purchase new buses for the last five years, the official said that 2,500 new buses have been procured now, and 300 have been inducted for daily operations.
{{/usCountry}}The official also said that the MSRTC's fleet strength has gone down from 18,500 buses to 15,000 over the years. Alleging that the agency did not purchase new buses for the last five years, the official said that 2,500 new buses have been procured now, and 300 have been inducted for daily operations.
{{/usCountry}}Former IAS officer Mahesh Zagade said that the transporter was caught in a “bureaucratic blind spot” over the rape case, hinting that the issue of security at the MSRTC was not given due attention.
The accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), is a resident of Gunat village in Pune district. Police have launched a search operation using drones and a dog squad to trace him. A ₹1 lakh cash reward was also announced for anyone providing “credible information” on his whereabouts.
(With PTI inputs)