Bus transport services on Tuesday remained crippled in Delhi due to a strike by DTC employees demanding a compensation of Rs one crore to the kin of a deceased driver following which Delhi government imposed Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the agitating staff.
Under provision of ESMA, services of striking employees will be terminated if they don't turn up for work.
Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said, "If workers don't come back on duty, action will be taken against them."
The government action came after people across the city faced harrowing experience in absence of around 4,000 DTC buses on the first day of the strike by the DTC employees. In some areas, very few DTC buses operated.
The DTC drivers were demanding a compensation of Rs one crore to family of DTC driver Ashok Kumar (42) who was beaten to death yesterday allegedly by a youth after his bus grazed the latter's bike in Mundka area of west Delhi. The Delhi government had announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Kumar's family.
The DTC had earlier on Monday issued an advisory to its workers, asking them to call off their strike and return to work immediately.
Meanhwile, Police on Monday arrested the mother of the youth who allegedly thrashed DTC bus driver Ashok Kumar to death in Mundka.
The woman, Roshni, who was accused of instigating his son Vijay for attacking Ashok, was arrested from Mundka. The accused Vijay was arrested late last night, police said.
Following the incident, the AAP government had said that it would provide Rs five lakh compensation to the victim's family. However, the DTC union expressed dissent over the compensation declared and called a strike for an indefinite period in protest.
