RTC conductor protests illegal suspension from service
When the conductor asked the woman to vacate the seat for the pregnant woman who was standing, she refused and indulged in an argument with him, despite the objection from the other passengers
WARANGAL: A RTC conductor, Bhukya Shankar Naik, along with his family members and colleagues, staged a dharna in front of the Jangaon bus depot on Wednesday, protesting his illegal suspension from the service.
According to the sources, Shankar Naik was on duty on a Hyderabad-bound bus from Hanamkonda on July 5. He stopped the bus when a pregnant woman hailed and reserved a seat for her. However, the seat was occupied by another woman who boarded the crowded bus along with her child and elderly mother.
When the conductor asked the woman to vacate the seat for the pregnant woman who was standing, she refused and indulged in an argument with him, despite the objection from the other passengers.
Then, she, along with her child and mother, got off the bus at Madikonda and complained to the concerned officials on Twitter against the conductor for insulting her. In response to the complaint, Jangaon RTC divisional manager Swathi suspended the conductor from the service.
Shankar Naik alleged that the suspension order was arbitrary based on the complaint on Twitter. He questioned whether it was a crime to offer a seat to a pregnant woman who was standing on the bus.
His colleagues and other staff members also supported him and demanded the officials cancel his suspension orders.
Meanwhile, divisional manager Swathi defended her decision stating that the departmental inquiry found that the conductor was at fault in the incident as he insulted the woman and forcibly made her get off the bus midway.
