As ousted field workers of the 108 emergency ambulance service held a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday, independent member Pritam Singh Panwar raised their issue inside assembly. Panwar said that hundreds of workers experienced workers of the ambulance service were removed from their jobs recently when the company operating the ambulance service was changed. He said since most of these workers have become overage they are not in a position to work elsewhere and demanded that they should be absorbed in the new company.
In his reply the officiating parliamentary affairs minister, Madan Kaushik said that after end of 10 year contract with the GVK – EMRI to operate the ambulance service, tenders were floated for a new company. He said that in the tenders the CAMPS offered a low bid of Rs 118900 per ambulance against Rs 166000 per ambulance offered by GVK EMRI. He said that the new company was asked to retain the old employees and 213 workers opted for the new company but those who didn’t appeared in the selection process were not selected.