Ujjain: Most of the city buses being operated by contractors under JNNURM project of the government running across the city went off roads due to maintenance problem. As many as 70 buses are parked in the depot at present.
On Tuesday over 70 irked drivers and conductors staged a dharna at depot located at Maksi Road and raised slogans against the management and Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) as they were not getting their due salaries for last two months.
The employees alleged their EPF was deducted but not deposited in their EPF accounts by the contractor. They further told that they were rendering their services to UCTSL, but now they were facing grave problem of livelihood as for last two months they have not received their salaries.
The employees also alleged that out of 89 buses only 7 city buses are on the road and are in working condition; rest of the buses have been intentionally kept off road in the name of maintenance.
According to sources the buses in the city were being operated by the contractor but he refused to continue the contract 3 months ago. mSources said that the UMC pays Rs 10,000 monthly for per outsourced worker but the contractor pays only Rs 5000 to 6000 monthly.
The civic body is conducting only 7 CNG buses on some routes of the city while in suburban areas 19 buses are being conducted through the contractor, sources added.
According to municipal deputy commissioner Sunil Shah, the drivers and conductors work under the contractor according to the contractual terms and conditions, and the civic body has to pay their salaries to the contractor in lumpsum. The drivers and conductors of the city buses are not the employees of the Ujjain Municipal Corporation, he added.
On the allegation of bus drivers and conductorsthe depot manager Sunil Jain said that only 7 buses are in working condition, the payment cannot be made to drivers and conductors without work, remaining staff will be on work after maintenance work of the buses gets over.
