Pune: More than a thousand employees of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) have expressed unhappiness for not being included in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) ‘Suraksha Kavach’ scheme. 

Under the ‘Suraksha Kavach’ scheme, a person, working during the COVID-19 lockdown (essential services by the government), is insured for Rs 1 crore. The family gets Rs 1 crore if the person dies while battling the pandemic.

A senior officer from PMPML said that they have also asked both the municipal commissioners to include PMPML employees in the scheme.

“We are also working continuously since the lockdown. As many as 120 buses are running for emergency service. To run the buses on time and no breakdown, around one thousand employees, including the drivers, conductors, mechanic, supervisors, feeder, ticket checkers, are working without taking rest. Both corporations have not included us, and this is unfair. We have asked them to include us in the scheme,” said a senior officer of PMPML on condition of anonymity. 

The NCP PMPML Union has demanded PMPML Chairman and Managing Director Nayna Gunde to include all employees who are working in the lockdown period. Accordingly, Joint Managing Director Ajay Charthankar had written a letter to both the municipal corporations’ commissioners on Thursday about this. 

At present, PMPML is running 120 buses on 50 routes every day. All buses after the service are washed and cleaned at the depot every night.