The city bus service witnessed fresh unrest on Thursday when contractual drivers, backed by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), staged a protest at the Khapri depot demanding their pending dues.
Reacting swiftly, MLA Pravin Datke convened an emergency meeting at the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters. Present were Municipal Commissioner Dr. Abhijeet Chaudhari, Additional Commissioner Vasumati Pant, Transport Manager Rajesh Bhagat, Administrative Officer Yogesh Lunge, Labour Officer Arun Piparude, and union leaders including Nagesh Sahare, president of the drivers’ association.
The protest centered on the pending Payment of Leave (PL) dues for the 2024 session, which workers allege were long overdue. Addressing the meeting, MLA Datke directed officials to ensure immediate clearance of dues to avoid further unrest.
Commissioner Dr. Chaudhari assured the union that no employee would suffer losses. He said strict instructions would be issued to all depot operators to release the pending PL amounts without delay.
Union representatives welcomed the assurance but stressed the need for quick action, pointing out that drivers have been working under financial strain for months.
Several leaders of the City Bus Union, including General Secretary Kamlesh Wankhede, Deputy Secretary Pravin Katole, Sumit Chimte, Sandesh Dongre, Vishal Raut, Pramod Thorat, Ajay Ingole, Vishal Bhovate, and Vivek Dhurandhar, attended the meeting along with a large group of drivers.
With the NMC promising a swift resolution, the protest is expected to ease, though workers’ leaders have made it clear they will monitor progress until payments are credited.
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