HYDERABAD: If political leaders are nervous about the verdict of the election, as many as 1,100 private transport operators in Hyderabad, who have given away their vehicles while offering their driving services, are panicking that they may not get their due remuneration from the Election commission.
In less than 24 hours, it will be a wrap for the poll season and with it their hopes of getting their remuneration. For the election-related work, ie, ferrying EC flying squads, EC officials, observers, and the like, the government authorities had hired four-wheel vehicles about ten vehicles per constituency for districts and twenty in GHMC limits.
For six days, during the peak of polling days, the drivers were busy ferrying the officials on operational costs. But, now the private operators, despite making several visits from pillar to post, are crying foul as the State EC and the government authorities are allegedly not hearing operators’ plea to pay back the charges.
P Anjaiah, a private cab driver, said, “I lent them four vehicles for six days on election duty in GHMC constituencies. They have utilised my vehicles for the election work and promised to pay `1,400 for each vehicle per day”.
Other operators point out that they have lost a days earnings due to the EC duty. “We could have had a stable income, if not, the weary payment mechanism by the EC. This is another form of torture,” said B Raja Kumar, an operator.
“Since three days we are requesting the EC officials and the RTA officials to settle the pending payments, but they haven’t responded,” said Anjaiah.According to an election returning officer, the amounts are yet to be released. “We have already intimated vehicles operators issues to the authorities concerned. They assured that once funds are released they will make the payments,” an official said.