Job aspirants withdraw protest after Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s assurance

Hundreds of candidates who were shortlisted in the 2019 recruitment for drivers and driver-cum-conductors in North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), staged a protest in Hubballi on Friday seeking recruitment for all the notified posts and withdrew it later in the day following specific assurance by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

Earlier, they had gathered before the central office of the NWKRTC on Gokul Road and began their agitation. They were upset with the government’s decision of reducing the number of posts notified earlier.

As per the recruitment notification of 2019, the NWKRTC had called for applications for filling up 2,814 posts of drivers and driver-cum-conductors. After completion of the documentation process and the test of proficiency, the provisional list was published. But subsequently, the number of posts was trimmed to 1,000, which had enraged job aspirants resulting in a series of protests in the last couple of months. Subsequently the chairman and the MD of NWKRTC too had requested the government to permit filling up of the remaining 1,814 posts.

On Friday, as Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy was scheduled to take part in the inauguration of the renovated new central bus station in Hubballi, the job aspirants congregated before the central office under the leadership of Subhash Singh Jamadar and staged a sit-in. 

The protesting candidates were joined by BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakai and MLC Pradeep Shettar, councillor Rajanna Koravi, and others.

Before participating in the programme, Mr. Reddy and chairman of NWKRTC Bharamagouda (Raju) Kage heard their grievances and promised to look into the issue.

Later, Mr. Reddy called them for a discussion at the NWKRTC central office in which Labour Minister and district in charge Santosh Lad, Mr. Tenginakai, NWKRTC MD Priyanga M., and Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar were also present.

Mr. Jamadar told presspersons that during the meeting, Mr. Reddy promised them that 1,000 posts would be filled up before December 8 and the remaining 814 posts would be filled up after taking up the issue with the Chief Minister and getting approval from the Finance Department.

He also said that Mr. Lad had also promised to raise the issue with the Chief Minister during the next Cabinet meeting. Following the assurances, it was resolved to call off the agitation for the time being, he said.