Lakhs of commuters in the city faced severe hardships for the second consecutive day today due to a strike by Delhi Transport Corporation employees before it was withdrawn in the evening after Delhi government announced that it will accept their demand of extending help to the family of a deceased driver.
Over 3,000 DTC buses were off the roads and autorickshaws demanded exorbitant fares, giving a harrowing time to commuters across Delhi. There was huge rush on the Delhi Metro.
The strike affected commuting of students in hundreds of schools which had commercial pact with DTC to ferry the students. Some schools suspended classes due to the DTC strike while some others advanced summer vacation for primary section.
The situation, however, improved in the evening after DTC employees withdrew the strike following announcement by the Delhi government that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accepted all demands of the family of the deceased DTC driver Ashok Kumar who was beaten to death on Sunday allegedly by a youth in a case of roadrage.
The DTC employees were agitating demanding a compensation of Rs one crore to Kumar's kin against government's Rs five lakh assistance.
Kejriwal met Kumar's family members and told them that "the incident was very sad and shocking, we are with you. We will extend all help we can".
Officials said government will give Rs 10-lakh as immediate help to the family and salary amount of Kumar will be paid to his wife till the date of his retirement. All increments also to be given during the said tenure of service.
They said government will give a job to one of the family members of Kumar besides incurring the medical treatment expenses of his wife.
Earlier in the day, Transport Minister Gopal Rai said Delhi government has clamped Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the agitating DTC employees.
According to DTC, a large number of buses returned to the roads after the strike was called off.
The DTC employees also demanded better security.
"We demand better security for DTC's drivers and conductors as they have to deal with different kind of people. Besides, they run buses till late in the night.
"Cases of attack against drivers and conductors are increasing and the government should deploy a security guard inside the buses," said Gaurav Saraswat, president of Delhi Parivahan Karamchari Yuva Sangathan.
