30 bus conductors suspended in ticket scam

In connection with alleged scam in issuing tickets on reserved quota for parliamentarians in roadways buses, 30 bus conductors who were working on contractual basis and special category were suspended on the weekend. In addition to this, five regular conductors were also suspended. Sources said that as per preliminary investigation, names of 35 conductors have come to light wherein maximum tickets under quota reserved for members of parliament were issued by them through the ticketing machine. Out of Rs 3.21 lakh, reserved quota tickets worth Rs 1.5 lakh were released by 35 conductors. Sources said that the state government may recover the said amount from them after investigation is completed. It should be mentioned here that while reviewing tickets of special category between January 1 and March 31, the department officials of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation had found some irregularities with 4257 tickets under quota reserved for parliamentarians having been issued from 22 depots. A departmental inquiry was ordered and as per preliminary inquiry, most of the tickets issued under the MP quota were found to have been released after March 23. Officials had conducted an inquiry of about 680 conductors and of them 35 were found to be allegedly involved in the irregularities as per preliminary investigation.