Bangalore Urban District Election Office (DEO) may hire private vehicles for election duty as it may not get the required 1,400 vehicles from various government departments.
According to Special Commissioner (Election) K R Niranjan they need 500 four-wheelers and 900 buses and mini buses.
“We have already conducted meetings with BMTC, KSRTC and Transport Department officials to provide the vehicles. This apart, we have sent notifications to various departments to provide their official vehicles for election duty. They have already started sending vehicles. We need four wheelers at present for Returning Officers and other teams,” he said.
According to sources, each of the ten Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) will depute an inspector for procuring vehicles.
“The RTOs are yet to send them and they are expected to join us in the next two days. They are supposed to send the vehicles along with drivers but if the required vehicles are not received, private vehicles will be hired for election duty. This will be an additional expense,” they sources said.
‘Give Us Rs 300 Per Day’
M N Venugopal, President of Government Vehicle and Government Concern Drivers’ Federation, said that as part of election duty, drivers are paid `100 per day, while D group employees are paid Rs 200.
“We have submitted a memorandum to Chief Election Officer Anil Kumar Jha to give us Rs 300 per day. He has agreed,” he said.
Venugopal said the District Election Officers will write to the heads of various departments to provide a certain number of vehicles from that particular department.
“But the heads of departments ignore the DEO’s direction and do not give vehicles. But when our drivers are on duty, the police as well as RTO staff stop the vehicles and take them along with the drivers. This creates nuisance for drivers as well,” he added.
Tax Inspector Suspended
A BBMP tax inspector has been suspended for allegedly not performing election duties. A press release from the BBMP stated that H G Suresh, tax inspector at the Assistant Revenue Office, Kempegowdanagar sub- division, has been suspended. As per the District Election Officer’s instructions, all polling stations were to open for a special voter enrolment camp on Sunday. However, Kempegowdanagar Boys High School, one among the polling stations, did not open and Suresh was seen issuing applications for voter identity cards outside the school premises. The Chief Election Officer, who was on an inspection, noticed this, following which Suresh was suspended, the press release said.
Poll Effect: No Staff at Mayor’s Office
Mayor B S Sathyanarayana said he has requested the BBMP Commissioner to depute some officers to his office so that he can attend to his official work. He told Express, “All my office staff, including peon, my PA and clerks are deputed for election duty. People come to my office with their problems and other applications. But there is no one to receive them. They are not aware that there will be no people to listen to their woes,” he said. “I have requested the BBMP Commissioner to provide minimum staff, for which he has agreed,” he said