Karnataka: RTC employees strike enters fifth day, bus services continue to be hit
Bengaluru: Bus services remained largely hit across Karnataka on Sunday too, as strike by employees of the road transport corporations on wage related issues, entered its fifth day.
With a stalemate between the government and employees of the four transport corporations in the state, over their demand for wages as per the 6th Pay Commission continuing, majority workers did not turn up for work, resulting in buses remaining off road, affecting commuters.
Amid threats of tough action, "no work no pay", few RTC employees have returned to work and are operating buses on some routes in the city, along with police escort, and similar reports are emerging from few other places in the state, officials said.
Though the number of commuters waiting for buses at bus stands remained scarce, today being Sunday, those wanting to travel to their native for celebrating Ugadi on Tuesday are affected.
Private buses, mini buses, maxi cabs and other passenger transport vehicles, whom authorities have roped in to manage the crisis and help commuters, were seen providing services to passengers in different parts of the city and the state.
People were using their own vehicles or were seen using cabs, Metro and autorickshaws, especially in the city areas.
Metro has increased the frequency of its services between 7 AM and 9 PM.
RTCs that have been warning employees about continuing with the strike, have started taking actions against trainee employees and are issuing notice for absence from work.
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) said it has decided not to consider requests for inter corporation transfers of employees who are instigating, threatening colleagues for strike and are hindering bus services, thereby causing inconvenience to the public.
Also employees who have been given such transfers, have been warned that it will be cancelled and that they will be posted to their original place on failing to attend duty immediately, KSRTC tweeted.
Citing inconvenience caused to the public and that the strike was against provisions of the industrial disputes act, the Labour department on Friday had issued an order banning the strike.
The dispute has been referred to the industrial tribunal, Bengaluru for adjudication, it had said.
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Will take legal course if film is stopped: Vivek Agnihotri on release of 'The Bengal Files' in WB
Kolkata, Aug 18 (PTI): Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Monday said he would go the legal route if the release of his film "The Bengal Files" is stalled in West Bengal.
The trailer launch of the film in Kolkata was disrupted on Saturday. Agnihotri claimed the event was first cancelled by a multiplex and then moved to a hotel where power supply was disrupted and police turned up asking if permission had been taken.
"We will go by the Constitution. We will go legally. If they stop us, we will take the legal course. What can we do? We are common citizens like you... We will pray that sanity prevails and the state government does not do it (stop the release)," the filmmaker said at a press conference here while hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal.
"The Bengal Files", which is slated for release on September 5, revolves around the Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, which were triggered after the All-India Muslim League called for 'Direct Action Day' to demand a separate homeland.
"...This is an Indian film. I am telling you the truth," Agnihotri said.
Known for films such as "The Kashmir Files" and "The Tashkent Files", Agnihotri also addressed the many controversies surrounding his latest release, including an FIR by Gopal Chandra Mukherjee's grandson Santanu Mukherjee.
Gopal Mukherjee is said to have played a pivotal role in the resistance against the Muslim mob violence in 1946. Santanu claims Agnihotri's film refers to his grandfather as a butcher.
Agnihotri said Gopal Mukherjee in his film is an inspired character and not central to the plot.
"I will not go into his history. Watch Santanu's interview. I can give you all the links. There is an interview of Gopal Mukherjee on BBC. In that interview, what he has said, we have only shown that much. I have nothing to do with Gopal Mukherjee's life, politics. He was a hero and I have shown him as a hero," he said.
"I respect Gopal Mukherjee a lot. His grandsons work with TMC. There is a compulsion there... They have done it legally. We are giving a legal answer to that," he said.
Agnihotri claimed the film is his attempt to reveal hidden truths. He said he aims at showing "the untold stories of India".
"Our purpose is very clear. I make films on Hindu civilization. That is why I make films on Hindu history. I do not consider myself capable of making films on Islamic history or Christian history," he said, adding that filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Vishal Bhardwaj have already made movies on the Islamic history of Kashmir through "Roja" and "Haider".
Agnihotri said the censor board passed "The Bengal Files" without any cuts though it went through the examining committee and then the revising committee.
"This film was made with a lot of responsibility and sincerity. No one can object to this. Bengalis will be proud of this film."
"The Bengal Files" stars Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar.
