The Bastar Bus Association has alleged that the Election Commission of India does not make the rightful payments to the bus owners whose vehicles are forcibly requisitioned for election duty. The Commission has also been accused of not paying compensation for the vehicles damaged and their employees suffering casualties in Naxal attacks.
The Bastar division chairman of the Association, Satendra Singh told a press conference on Saturday that the Election Commission forcibly requisitioned private vehicles for use during the just-concluded lok Sabha election. The others who were present during the press conference included president Anand Mishra, district president Bhupendra Singh Chauhan and Rishabh Baid.
Bastar is a Naxal affected area and no bus owners want to give their vehicles for election work. Even staffs of the private vehicles also express their reluctance to go to the interior areas due to fear. But they are forcibly requisitioned.
The Election Commission has been providing compensation of Rs 15-20 lakh to the government polling staffs suffering casualties in Naxal violence; it should also pay similar compensation to the affected private bus owners and employees, he said. If the Commission does not provide similar compensation, the bus association will launch an agitation, he said.
Singh said the Election Commission had requisitioned a private bus which was operating on Bhopalpatnam road. Carrying a polling party this bus had gone to a polling station in Bijapur area. The Maoists blew up this bus near Kutulnar on April 12. In this blast, seven of the polling party were killed and the driver and cleaner of the vehicle were critically injured.
However, the Election Commission did not provide the driver, cleaner and bus owner adequate compensation, he said. They have received only two lakh rupees of compensation, he said. Singh said Sunita Baid, the owner of the bus, is a widow. The bus which was destroyed in the blast was her only source of livelihood.
With the destruction of the bus, the livelihood of Baid and her children are at stake. The insurance company provides only four-five lakh rupees for a bus which costs 15-20 lakh rupees, he said.