‘We had warned…were ignored’: After Pune rape, employees’ union hits out at MSRTC for failing to act

“We had warned that the lack of surveillance and abandoned buses created a perfect hideout for criminal activities. Unfortunately, our concerns were ignored, and now an innocent woman has suffered,” Dilip Parab, the Pune district ST union representative, said.

Parab said they had cautioned MSRTC officials about the deteriorating security situation while submitting a letter related to workers’ issues on February 5. The letter submitted to senior MSRTC officials lists workers’ issues such as pending PF, medical pay, maternity leave, ID card issuance, etc and also mentions concerns related to the ST staff colony.

Following the submission of the letter, a meeting was held between the officials and the union on February 8. Parab said he had urged officials to take immediate action against miscreants. “During our meeting with senior transport corporation officials, we asked, ‘Who will take responsibility if an incident happens anywhere between the depot and the employees’ colony?’ We demanded police protection and even approached the Swargate police directly. However, the police refused, citing jurisdictional limitations,” he added.

Vacant buildings in ST employees’ colony a haven for drug addicts and anti-social elements

Parab said that after February 5, the union submitted another demand letter on February 8, requesting police protection for the employees’ colony near Panchami Hotel on Satara Road. He said that the colony consists of around 12 buildings, two of which have been marked for redevelopment. “For the past four months, two buildings have been left vacant in the name of renovation, attracting anti-social elements from nearby slums. They enter illegally, consume alcohol and drugs, smoke, and engage in obscene activities. When employees ask them to vacate the premises, they create a nuisance and issue threats,” he said.

He further pointed out that the colony has not been cleaned for the past two to four years, with the garbage piling up posing a health hazard to employees.

“These abandoned quarters have become a haven for anti-social elements. Women feel unsafe and have repeatedly raised concerns about their security. We demand immediate security measures before another untoward or serious incident occurs,” Parab said.