JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly saw a ruckus on Thursday over the bus accident in Bundi district, which resulted in the death of 24 people. The bus, ferrying passengers who were part of a wedding party, reportedly lost control due to a gear failure and plunged into a river on Wednesday.Not satisfied with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal’s submission on the government’s response to the tragic incident, BJP members staged a walkout from the House. It is believed that the gear failure led to the jamming of the steering wheel, resulting in the accident.
The Opposition MLAs voiced fury over alleged irregularities in the state transport department. It has been alleged that the bus plied on highways despite not having a fitness certificate for the last 7 years and was not allowed to run outside Kota district.The Assembly was recently rocked by charges of corruption in the transport department, with the roles of officials, bureaucrats and even Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas being called into question.
It has been learnt that the bus was packed with 29 passengers, far beyond its capacity of 17. Also, it had a city permit, which means that it was allowed to ply only within the municipal limits. However, it was allegedly exempted of all rules. Dhariwal admitted that the bus did not have a fitness certificate. He assured a thorough investigation into the incident. He said it was likely that the breakdown of the axle led to the incident.