A number of trucks and loaders assigned to transport relief materials to disaster-affected areas can be seen parked on the Parade Ground nowadays. According to the RTO, many truckloads of relief material have been transported to affected area since the operation began about a fortnight ago.
On the one hand, providing relief to the affected persons is vital, but, on the other hand, anomalies in the operation are creating problems for the drivers and the transport contractors whose vehicles have been temporarily acquired for the relief operation. They are very unhappy with the situation, adding their vehicles are being acquired while plying on the road and they are being directed to go to the Parade Ground, failing which their licence would be cancelled.
"We are being forced to go to the hilly areas. I am not accustomed to drive in such areas, but was sent to Bageshwar. I have a five-year old child at home with no one to look after him as I am stuck here and he is starving since the past two days," said truck driver Yogeshwar from Deoband.
Another trucker Nafeez Khan wonders how he would manage to take his 26-feet-long truck to the mountainous areas where the roads are damaged. "We are not given any money to buy the food in affected areas where we have been told it is costly with a paratha costing Rs 50 and a cup of tea costing Rs 20. The diesel provided is also not sufficient and there is no facility for refuelling," says another trucker Salim.
In Dehradun, the truckers waiting with their vehicles on Parade Ground are not being provided any food or shelter which is causing them much inconvenience. Harbhajan Singh from Vikasnagar asked, "Who will compensate the driver's family if he dies in a mishap while transporting relief materialIJ I have left my family behind and I am the sole bread winner of the family." Transporter Rajeev said, "One of the drivers is out of contact for the past nine days and I am being questioned by his family every day".
The truckers and contractors are complaining that Government officials are not providing them either information or guarantee of reimbursement for their service while there is no clarity regarding compensation in case of mishap.