Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) The Transport Department has formally notified the Election Commission of the revised rental rates for buses and vehicles to be requisitioned for the elections.

Soumitra Mohan, Principal Secretary of the Transport Department, submitted the updated rate list to the Election Commission on Monday, reflecting a significant increase compared to previous years. The letter was addressed to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and detailed the vehicle rental rates along with ancillary terms and conditions.

The rates at which buses — including those with lower passenger capacities — are hired for election duties in other states are considerably higher than those in West Bengal.

As a result, owners of private route buses in the state had earlier indicated that they would refuse to provide their vehicles unless the higher rates were met — a stance that placed the Transport Department in a difficult position.

The Election Commission had repeatedly sought updates from the Transport Department regarding the availability of vehicles. Meanwhile, private bus owners remained firm in their position that they would not release their vehicles unless the rental rates were increased. Following a series of meetings, the Transport Department has now formally communicated the revised rental rates to the Chief Electoral Officer through a written letter.

Rahul Chatterjee, General Secretary of the All Bengal Bus-Minibus Coordination Committee, said that buses and vehicles are requisitioned for election duties every year; however, the rental rates offered in West Bengal have historically been significantly lower than those in other states. Earlier, the rental rate for a bus stood at Rs 2,530, with each crew member receiving an allowance of Rs 250.

In this context, he said: “We have demanded a 10 per cent increase to cover both the bus rental charges and the daily allowances for the crew members. We had earlier apprised the Transport Department of this matter in October last year. We have now formally submitted this appeal to the Election Commission.”

–IANS

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