Nine months after a Khopta resident was mowed down by a Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT), residents stage a protest demanding to fulfil the promise of job to the kin and compensation. Following the accident that happened on February 8, NMMT had discontinued its services to Uran and till now it remains discontinued owing to the violent behavior of the residents, said an official.
A social worker Kantilal Kadu was approached by the villagers after which they took out a protest outside Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) head quarters. “NMMC then offered a job letter to the sister of the deceased Nilesh Mhatre but again, it was not a permanent job for which we fought again and NMMC has asked time of eight days. If they fail to resolve the issue in eight days, we would go to the court,” Kadu said.
Khopta Villagers protest | FPJ
Khopta Villagers protest | FPJ
The protest was for restoring the bus services as well as for compelling NMMT to fulfill the assurance it allegedly had rendered to the affected families following the accident. According to a NMMC official, whatever was given in writing on the day of accident was due to the pressure of a mob of villagers who had crowded around NMMT officials. Following the incident, NMMT officials had informed the police about being pressurised by the villagers to give their demands in writing.
“The residents are suffering due to lack of public transport. Along with that, the family of the accident victims are also suffering as the transport body has till date not fulfilled any of its assurances given in writing,” said Kadu.
The fatal bus accident | Image Accessed by FPJ
The accident occurred on February 8 along the Khopta-Koproli road when a NMMT bus driven by driver Namdev Girju Pol crashed onto a parked tempo and a bike which led to 38-year-old Nilesh Shashikant Mhatre losing his life and another Keshav Atmaram Thakur was injured. As per the letter given in writing, the family of the deceased was assured of Rs 30 lakhs and permanent job to the sister of the deceased in NMMT. “The injured too were assured of being compensated for the treatment undergone as well as the damage caused to the vehicles,” said Kadu.
NMMT used to operate four services to Uran before the accident. Following the accident, the villagers responded violently with stone pelting and even held NMMT officials as hostage to forcefully sign letters. “The driver is still in jail and is undergoing trial. Other drivers had protested after the accident as none of them wanted to drive on that route. There is fear amongst other drivers to drive through the route,” said the official.
