A driver of North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), who was admitted to a hospital in an unconscious condition in Mumbai in September last year, went ‘missing’ soon after. Though he was on duty when the incident occurred, his family of five — wife, three girls and one boy — has not been paid anything by the corporation. M.B. Uppar, driver with NWKRTC’s Belagavi division, drove the bus to Mumbai on September 3, 2014. He collapsed near the toilet at the Mumbai Central Bus-Stand on the morning of September 4 and was admitted to Mumbai Nair Hospital of Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation at around 9 a.m.
Co-workers, conductor B.K. Nadaf and driver B.H. Bagali, said Mr. Uppar was in an unconscious condition when they took him to hospital. The doctors advised various tests, including blood, X-ray and CT scan. When his colleagues came back to the ward on the 7th floor after completing the formalities, the unconscious Uppar was not on his bed. Taking up the issue with NWKRTC, the KSRTC Staff & Workers’ Federation said it was highly suspicious that an unconscious person could walk out of the ward. The corporation should have made efforts to trace him, federation general secretary H.V. Ananthasubba Rao said in a letter to NWKRTC Managing Director.
NWKRTC Managing Director R. Vinothpriya told The Hindu the board of directors would soon take a decision on payment of sustenance allowance to Mr. Uppar’s family.