Within 24 hours of Mumbai Mirror's expose on BPOs' callous approach to their employees' safety, call centres across Mumbai on Wednesday began overhauling their transport departments, mainly focusing on checks employed while hiring drivers for home-drops.
Intelenet, one of the two BPOs where Mirror's editor, investigations, Bhupen Patel, got a job as a driver without undergoing any screening, is putting all its drivers through fresh checks and is considering providing them tamper-proof identity cards.The BPO also sent an email to all its employees on Wednesday reassuring them that all measures are being taken to safeguard their security.
--- Picture: Mishra of Krishna Motor Training School: RTO institutes inquiry against him to find out how he managed to forge a driving licence ---
Bhupen not only was carrying a fake licence, he has never driven a car in his life. After he got the job, he got a friend to drive the car, dropping employees of Intelenet and an IBM back office all over the city. No official from IBM was available for a comment despite repeated attempts by this correspondent.Meanwhile, the Regional Transport Office in Thane has initiated an inquiry against Krishna Motor Training School in Mira Road, from where Bhupen acquired a fake driving licence. Initial investigations have revealed that the school is just a front for its owner's illegal activities and does not provide any training services.
--- Picture: Arif Boat, original holder of the licence: Is ‘shocked’ to see his licence manipulated and misused ---
"We are planing to register an FIR (First Information Report) in this matter. We have already got in touch with Mishra (the man who helped Bhupen acquire the licence for Rs 1200)...he has been called for questioning," Deputy RTO Deepak Patil said.Transport Commissioner Shyamsunder Shinde said licences are issued only with proper signatures and thumb impressions. "I am surprised that a licence was issued in such a manner. It's a matter of great concern for the department and I am in the process of initiating an inquiry," he said.
--- Picture: Mishra of Krishna Motor Training School from where Bhupen obtained a fake licence ---
Arif Boat, an employee of In Cable Network, whose identity was stolen by Krishna Motor Training School to make Bhupen's fake licence, said he still can't believe something of this sort was possible. "It's so dangerous. Just imagine somebody driving a car with a licence that carries my name. Tomorrow if this driver does something wrong, cops will come looking for me," he said.
Several other BPOs described the Mirror expose as a wake-up call. "The report exposed the chinks in BPOs' transport systems. There has to be proper screening of drivers. While we put our drivers through breathanalyser tests. Now we know that is not enough. A lot more needs to be done," said Nilesh Yadav, senior executive, Syntel.
Source: Mumbai Mirror report
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