Published 08:46 IST, February 9th 2021
After Delhi Police sent a letter to DTC; Corporation decides to hold recovering of buses
After Delhi Police sent a stern letter to DTC regarding deployment of buses; the Corporation has decided to hold its decision of recovering buses, said official
Days after the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) started recalling all its buses given to Delhi Police on "special hire'" because 45 of them were damaged during the clashes between farmers and police on Republic Day, the state transport utility has now paused the recovery of more buses on the request of the police. Senior officials on Monday informed that the Delhi Transport utility stated that additional buses will be given as per the demand raised by the force.
Delhi govt holds recovery of DTC buses
Senior officials who had attended the "emergency meeting" chaired by Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Monday to resolve the impasse between the police and the DTC informed that the decision to pause the recovery of the buses was taken during this meeting. This crucial meeting was also attended by chief secretary Vijay Dev, transport commissioner Ashish Kundra, special commissioner of police Sundari Nanda, state home secretary BS Bhalla and DTC managing director Vijay Bidhuri.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Monday, “The Delhi Police had taken 576 DTC buses on the special hire of which around 350 have been returned so far. It has been decided that no more buses will be recalled by the DTC as of now. Also, it was clarified that the DTC will not deny any bus to the police. Maintaining law and order is extremely important.”
Outlining further details, the Transport Minister said that the only difference from the previous practice will be that the DTC will now not be able to release its buses solely. He said, "Any request to deploy buses on special hire will have to be approved by the Delhi government. That means the DTC will have to take Delhi government’s approval."
Delhi Police reacts to AAP's withdrawal of DTC service
Earlier on February 4, the Delhi Police had said that DTC has always provided buses to the Delhi Police for movement and transportation of forces deployed for law and order duty. This statement by the Delhi Police comes a day after the Delhi Transport government instructed the DTC to return 576 buses that were provided to Delhi Police on "special hire". While speaking to news agency ANI, Public Relations Officer of the Delhi Police Chinmoy Biswal said that it is a decades-old practice and it is going on currently also.
Chinmoy Biswal said, "The DTC has always provided buses to the Delhi Police and assisted us in the movement and transportation of Police force deployed on law and order duty in the maintenance of public order. We requisition buses from the DTC and we get assistance. Now we have again requested the DTC to continue with this practice and assist us by providing the required fleet of buses for the same."
AAP orders withdrawal of DTC buses for Paramilitary & Police Forces
CM Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government on February 3 had asked the DTC to withdraw buses on special hire to various departments, meaning the movement of paramilitary personnel will be affected in the national capital. Amid the ongoing farmers' protests around Delhi's borders and the heavy deployment of paramilitary forces, the DTC asked the concerned departments to relieve the buses that were currently being used by them. Further, DTC authorities maintained that the approval of the Delhi government was a must for the requisition of buses under special hire. The low-floor DTC buses are extensively used for the movement of police and paramilitary personnel for deployment in various parts of the city.
"All the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses on special hire have been decided to be withdrawn with immediate effect. It has also been decided by the authorities that approval of the government will be required now before requisitioning of buses under special hire," a government official said.
Updated 08:46 IST, February 9th 2021