New Delhi, Oct 25 (Bureau) The Delhi Government on Thursday announced the deployment of the bus marshals, who were terminated from their services last year, as civil defence volunteers for four months to fight against pollution in the national capital. Announcing the decision, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “Civil Defence Volunteers, who had been removed from their duties as bus marshals, will be reappointed for four months, and during this time, efforts will be made to reinstate them as permanent bus marshals.” He congratulated the Civil Defence Volunteers, stating, “It is because of the courage and struggle of women bus marshals, who were kicked and abused by Vijender Gupta, who filed false cases against them (BJP), that today thousands of Civil Defence Volunteers have hope once again for a better future.”
“This is also a victory for the women bus marshals who were kicked by BJP MLA Vijendra Gupta. This is the power of democracy, and in the face of this democratic strength, the central government had to yield. They have accepted that the Bus Marshals and Civil Defense Volunteers can be employed by the government for its work,” Bhardwaj said. “Just like how these Civil Defence Volunteers were previously deployed to help implement the Odd-Even scheme, their services are now recognized again. They will carry out the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign at every intersection in Delhi, contributing to the fight against pollution,” the Minister added “Not just Delhi, but the entire nation has witnessed in the past few months how the sons and daughters of Delhi, working in various small jobs in different departments, have been treated. Some were working as civil defense volunteers, others as bus marshals in Delhi’s DTC buses,” Bhardwaj said. “Some daughters were employed as nursing orderlies—sweeper-cum- security guards in Delhi hospitals, while some other brothers were working as data entry operators in government hospitals, preparing OPD cards. Many sisters were working in the Women’s Commission. But, under a malicious political strategy and at the behest of the BJP’s central government, thousands of these sons and daughters were thrown out of their jobs,” he further said.
Hitting out at the BJP, Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the central government didn’t even consider how these families would survive. Earning just Rs 18,000 to 20,000 a month, these people, who were the sole breadwinners for their families, were left to wonder where the next meal would come from, how they would pay their rent. Without any concern or understanding, the central government ruthlessly rendered these thousands of workers unemployed, he said. “Now, these unemployed individuals have started coming together. The recent struggle of Delhi’s Bus Marshals on the streets was supported by our MLAs and ministers, who sat down with them in protest, challenging the central government. Arvind Kejriwal stood firmly with these poor sons and daughters and declared that whether it’s about the jobs of Bus Marshals, contractual workers in the DCW, or the data entry operators removed from hospitals, he would fight for them and ensure their jobs are restored,” he affirmed. “In this struggle, the bus marshals faced repeated arrests, were dragged by the police on the streets, and even false cases were lodged against us, our MLAs, and the Bus Marshals by BJP MLA Vijender Gupta. The marshals were beaten, and female bus marshals were assaulted, but they did not give up.
Today, their struggle and the relentless efforts of Arvind Kejriwal have borne fruit, and finally, the central government has been forced to back down,” Bhardwaj said. Following this announcement, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in a social media post said, “The son of people of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has once again fulfilled his promise. The Delhi government is reinstating the Bus Marshals and Civil Defence Volunteers who were sacked by the BJP. In the coming 4 months, they will be deployed in pollution control related works. Congratulations to all the bus marshals.” “They have also been promised that even after 4 months, a way will be found to provide them permanent employment. Today Arvind Kejriwal showed that he finds peace only after getting the work of Delhiites done in some way or the other,” she added. A delegation of bus marshals met Atishi, Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, and AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar and expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the AAP government’s support at the Delhi Secretariat.