Mere suspensions of little use!

Diesel theft at garbage disposal dumps

IS SUSPENSION OF staff deputed for work at garbage disposal dumps of the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) enough to check the rampant theft of diesel?

The thriving nexus between Class III employees posted at the four garbage disposal dumps of the KMC and drivers is so deeprooted that the mere suspension of drivers would serve little purpose. In a surprise inspection conducted on Thursday, Municipal Commissioner Badal Chatterjee had nabbed four drivers stealing diesel and suspended them. Singling out drivers for the rampant theft of diesel has led to widespread resentment among drivers of the civic body. A large section of KMC officials are also of the opinion that punitive action against Class III employees of the dumps must also be taken, as they are also hand-in-glove with drivers.

Four garbage disposal dumps of KMC at Panki, Jajmau, Fazalganj and Bhagwat Das Ghat perform the quintessential task of disposal of garbage from the city.

Involvement of Class III employees of these dumps who issue slips for refilling of diesel to drivers of the trucks cannot be ruled out. It is only after the issuing of ‘diesel slips’ by these clerks to drivers that the refilling of diesel into trucks can be insured. It is only successive issuing of slips by the clerks without verifying the number of trips made by the drivers for disposal of garbage that has facilitated the theft of diesel.

Due to the nexus between the clerks and drivers the latter carry out only one trip for disposal of garbage instead of the three, however, taking diesel for three trips.

Apart from clerks, the staff at the computerised weight centres for the job of weighing the truckloads of garbage by the KMC are also hand-in-glove with the clerks and drivers. According to procedures, each truck-load of garbage had to be duly weighed at the authorised weight centre.

The staff at the weight centres have also been found guilty of registering three trips instead of the actual one trip .

Talking to Hindustan Times Municipal Commissioner Badal Chatterjee said action against drivers was just the beginning of the drive against theft of diesel.

He added that action against all such employees involved in the racket of theft of diesel would be taken. pawandixit1@gmail.com