Parel staff quarters of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has now been sealed. This happened after a BEST employee's daughter tested positive for COVID-19. It is reported that this quarter houses close to 60 families.
“We have disinfected the building created a containment zone and asked residents to be in home quarantine for 14 days. We are monitoring the situation to check if anyone develops any symptoms,” BEST spokesperson Manoj Varade told The Hindu.
Parel is one of the largest staff quarters of the BEST. Meanwhile, the BEST workers have alleged that the Corporation is not paying attention to their safety. The employees had earlier alleged that the depots across the city were not safe for them amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The drivers and conductors have been unhappy with the arrangements made for them at the bus depots where the staffers eat, rest and assemble in large numbers in a limited space. There have also been instances where the BEST employees have been stopped from getting to work by the police officials. One such incident had been reported where BEST bus conductor from Dharavi was beaten by the cops very badly and ended with swollen legs.
Currently, a containment zone has been created around the building and it has been disinfected by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Prior to this, an employee from BEST's electric wing had tested positive and now, a Parel resident has been detected positive. This has led to the employees raising concerns about their safety.
Currently, BEST is the only public transport service that is plying essential employees in Mumbai. While the Corporation has appreciated the work by its employees that are showing up for duty, the transport wing is also looking at penalising the ones that are ducking to do their duty. BEST buses have decided it will be issuing memos to those who shirk work or are absent for no genuine reasons.
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