AURANGABAD: The Maharashtra State Road Transportation Corporation (MSRTC) is flooded with applications for recruitment of drivers-cum-conductors with as many as 28,314 candidates, including 445 women, applying for a total of 7,929 positions. However, creation of this new designation has not gone down well with a section of workers union.As announced earlier by the state transport utility, the written examination as part of the concerned recruitment is scheduled on July 2. "We have received nearly four applications for each position. The response received to the recruitment drive is excellent. We are also surprised by the number of female applicants interested for this job," a senior MSRTC official told TOI from Mumbai.Currently, the process of issuing admission cards , seat numbers and details related to examination centres through registered e-mail ids or mobile number is going on. Kailas Karad , general secretary of BJP-led union of MSRTC staffers , accused the MSRTC for creating new post of driver-cum-conductor in violation of the norms."For any bus to ply on road, both driver and conductor need to be present inside the vehicle as per the norms. The state transport has trashed all norms while creating this new post — clubbing together responsibilities of both driver and conductor. This is unethical, inhuman as such workforce will be burdened with extra work," he said.Karad also said that creation of new post was an attempt to prevent women from joining the MSRTC. "The applicants for driver-cum-conductor post need to have driving licence of Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) category. Women usually are not found possessing this type of licence. The MSRTC authorities are reluctant to recruit women owing to issues related to maternity leave and work timings," he alleged.Ranjit Singh Deol, MSRTC managing director, could not be reached for comments. Other senior authorities refuted charges levelled by the staff unions terming it as baseless.Meanwhile, the MSRTC has appealed to the candidates to not fall prey to any fake promises of getting jobs in lieu of money.

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