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#MeToo hits Pune’s transport body: Women staffers file 10 cases
According to PMPML chairman Nayana Gunde, the department immediately constituted a four-member committee to begin the departmental inquiry in these cases.
The latest episode of India’s #MeToo movement against sexual assault, which took the entire country by storm, has now reached the city’s public transport body, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML).
While allegations of sexual harassment emerged in some educational institutes in the city, a total of 10 cases have been registered by the PMPML in 2018 pertaining to its employees.
Nayana Gunde, PMPML chairperson, said, “Amidst the country-wide storm of sexual harassment cases, 10 have been received by the PMPML administration. All these cases were from our bus depots in the city, where 10 women staff members registered cases against their seniors.”
According to Gunde, the department immediately constituted a four-member committee to begin the departmental inquiry in these cases.
“We have constituted a Vishakha committee which has begun the internal inquiry process. Three cases were withdrawn by the complainant. In one case, the department imposed a heavy fine and suspended a staff member,” Gunde said.
“Currently, we have six cases pending which are undergoing inquiry,” she added.
The cases pertain to exchanging obscene content, verbal abuse and eve teasing, another PMPML official said on condition of anonymity.
PMPML has 9,800 employees in the city. The Vishakha committee report will also be out soon, the official added.
