A police constable has landed in trouble after he refused to buy ticket while travelling in a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus on Tuesday.
When the TNSTC bus proceeding from Nagercoil to Thoothukudi was stopped at Nanguneri Court stop on the Kanniyakumari – Tirunelveli highway on Tuesday, a few passengers, including the police constable, boarded the bus. When the conductor asked the constable to buy ticket, he refused saying a government servant on duty need not buy a ticket.
The conductor told him that constables carrying travel warrants issued by competent authorities alone would be allowed to travel without ticket and insisted him to buy the ticket. However, the constable was firm in his argument saying that if the TNSTC was allowing free travel for its workers, similar privileges should also be extended to policemen on duty.
As the argument went viral on social media, Superintendent of Police N. Silambarasan ordered an inquiry. TNSTC officials here, citing a circular issued by former DGP C. Sylendra Babu on July 20, 2021, said Mr. Babu had asked the SP to instruct police personnel travelling in the buses without warrants to buy ticket following a direction from the State Human Rights Commission.
“Hence, those without warrants should buy ticket,” said a TNSTC official.
Annamalai’s post
Meanwhile, BJP State president K. Annamalai said it was surprising that the TNSTC was unaware of an announcement made by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin that police personnel on duty can travel for free in TNSTC buses within their respective districts.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he quoted a social media post of Mr. Stalin from September 13, 2021, which listed various announcements made by him during the discussion on demand for grants for 2021-22, including free travel for police personnel on duty in TNSTC buses within their district.
The BJP leader said “It is surprising that TNSTC is unaware of the announcement made by the Chief Minister. I urge Tamil Nadu government to ensure that officers of the TNSTC are informed about the announcement to implement it with immediate effect.”
