Amid protest by former employees ASTC bus burn down in Tinsukia

Tinsukia: A stationary bus caught fire at the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) campus in Assam’s Tinsukia on Thursday morning amid ongoing protests over the sacking of over 700 employees.

The bus, registered under number AS12 BC 9447, was scheduled to leave for Tezpur later that morning.
However, before the passengers boarded the bus, it suddenly caught fire, completely gutting it.
No one was injured as the passengers had not yet entered the vehicle.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which is still unknown.
The sudden fire has caught many by surprise, and officials are working diligently to determine whether a malfunction or technical fault was responsible for the incident.
Adding to the already tense situation, the fire broke out amid ongoing protests by former ASTC employees who were recently fired from their posts.

The decision to terminate the employment of 771 people allegedly illegally recruited during the tenure of Anand Prakash Tiwari and Khagendra Nath Chetia as managing directors was taken earlier this week.
According to an official notice, a total of 2,274 employees were hired without following due process, leading to allegations of corruption and favoritism.

The announcement of the layoffs triggered a heated confrontation at the ASTC office in Paltanbazar area of ​​Guwahati on Wednesday afternoon.
The affected employees gathered at the ASTC office and demanded an answer from the General Secretary of the State Transport Employees Union regarding their unexpected dismissal. Emotions ran high as the men expressed their frustration and demanded accountability from the transport agency.