It has hardly been a week since the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) issued a notification for recruitment of 50 loco pilots or train operators on contract basis for five years. Now, the corporation has withdrawn the recruitment notification. Why? Because Kannadiga activists were up in arms along with the Namma Metro employees union against the recruitment notice.
They think this hiring of contract loco pilots is not in the interest of the locals and more in the interest of those from outside the state of Karnataka. The activists believe BMRCL is trying to hire outsiders for the job of loco pilots and sought that the notification be withdrawn. They seem to have succeeded because the notification has been withdrawn.
The employees union fears that local Kannadigas would lose out on opportunities based on the eligibility criteria because the condition that applicants should have knowledge of Kannada language was relaxed in the recruitment process. The notification demanded that the applicants should possess three years’ experience, which again seemed to favour outsiders.
As per the notification, the candidates would have to clear a written test and an interview as part of the selection process. The salary was to be in the range of Rs 35,000 to Rs 82,000 per month, based on the individual’s qualifications and experience. The last date of the application to be submitted online was 4 April.
The employees union of BMRCL wrote a letter disapproving of the recruitment notification as it believed it gave preference to candidates from cities of North India, as well as Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.
To ensure that the locals did not lose out on opportunities, the Karnataka government had also intervened and requested BMRCL to alter the hiring process and guarantee fair representation.
