Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter DRIVING CRAZY NEELAKANTAPPA SQUEEZES THE TAXI DRIVERS AT BIAL

By Firoz.T.Totanawala 

The Bangalore Metro Reporter 

DRIVING CRAZY! 

NEELAKANTAPPA SQUEEZES THE TAXI DRIVERS AT BIAL 

 The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation has been exploiting the Taxi drivers cum owners working under them at BIAL. Instead of providing gainful employment to these owners cum drivers, the KSTDC is making crores of money every year by collecting huge security deposit, exorbitant parking fee, call centre fee etc. from them. The KSTDC Taxi services are under the Octopus like grip of Neelakantappa, supervisor outsourced from a security agency who is also the general secretary of the KSTDC Taxi Drivers Welfare Association and Chikkamath, a KSTDC employee working as ATO. If one were to take a close look at the goings, everybody from the KSTDC and the Neelakantappa gang are fleeing the Taxi drivers... 

In our last issue, we had exposed how the KSTDC Taxi services at the Bangalore International Airport are fleeing the Taxi drivers. We dealt in detail about the modus operandi of Neelakantappa gang to exploit the Taxi drivers in making millions in every conceivable means. From the stage of becoming the member of the Neelakantappa owned Welfare Association to the start of the operations, the Taxi drivers are squeezed like lemons. Interestingly, Neelakantappa is working as the Supervisor in KSTDC being brought in from a security agency, on contract. He is drafted by the KSTDC to work as the Supervisor of the Taxi services in BIAL. Interestingly, Neelakantappa had also floated Airport KSTDC Taxi Drivers Welfare Association and has converted it into his personal fiefdom. This is a very peculiar arrangement where the official, who may be on contract, lords over the Association of Taxi drivers and one can very well imagine the ‘Welfare’ of the Taxi drivers at the hands of Neelakantappa. 

 BRIEF INTRODUCTION! 

 Who is Neelakantappa? Neelakantappa was running his Maruti Van Taxi at the old airport. At that time itself, he had cultivated the KSTDC officials and managed brisk business to his taxi. Later his brothers and other relatives were also, brought into the business. The KSTDC officials have thought it fit to get the services of Neelakantappa on contract from a security agency, to manage the BIAL Taxi services. 

 ALL FOR ME ALONE! 

 It is another matter that Neelakantappa is misusing his position to provide very good business to the Taxis owned by himself, his brothers and relatives. Everybody in the KSTDC knows that Neelakantappa is running many taxis and is doing a brisk business. His taxis both naami and benami are showered with more trips than other drivers. Even the call centre which is callous towards other drivers, bend the rule backwards to provide as much pickups to the Airport as possible to these Taxis. Neelakantappa, a mere Taxi driver is now worth crores. One can imagine the misuse of the call centre by Neelakantappa by the fact that he had used the call centre to send messages to all the Taxi drivers to attend the marriage of his daughter. At another occasion, he used the call centre to instruct the Taxi drivers to attend the function where he was given a little known ‘Chiranjivi’ award! 

 MY SHARE PLEASE! 

 Forget about all these. As earlier exposed, Neelakantappa collects Rs.16000/- from the Taxi drivers as membership for the Taxi Drivers Welfare Association! Unless the membership of the Association is obtained, no Taxi driver can dream of operating his cab in BIAL. From here on, it is Neelakantappa’s orders all the way, from purchasing the vehicles to the levy of penalty. For example, Neelakantappa does not allow or permit anybody to purchase the ‘Logan’ car now ‘Verito’ from any of the scores of dealers except the Sirish Agencies owned by one Kupendra Reddy. The Sirish dealer has showrooms in Bommanahalli and Jakkur. It is alleged that Neelakantappa gets hefty commission from the dealer. 

 In fact, Neelakantappa gets commission in everything concerning the vehicle and the driver. From installing GPS/GPRS to the pulse meter to the stickers to the Insurance, he gets his cut. He has fixed shops/dealers to these tasks and the drivers have been left with no other choice but to obey his directions lest he will deny them the trips or stop them from plying the Taxi at the airport by deactivating the access card! Why go far, Neelakantappa directs the Taxi Drivers to stitch their uniforms at a certain Tailoring shop - Ranganatha Tailors in Pattegar Palya near Vijayanagar. Interestingly, this tailor is related to Kantharaj, a KSTDC official! Of course, Neelakantappa’s favourite agency – ‘DG Company’ which supplies GPS and GPRS machines is providing huge kickbacks. For installing GPS, GPRS, the Taxi drivers are charged Rs.22,500/-, while the market rate is not more than Rs.12000! Similarly pulse meters which cost no more than Rs. 5000/- in the market has to be installed by the Taxi drivers by paying Rs.10,500/-! For every recalibration, that is to re-fix the meter whenever the taxi rates are revised, the company charges a cool Rs.500! In all these Neelakantappa makes money merrily. Even in getting the ID card, the Taxi Drivers has to cough up Rs.300/- while the card can be done within Rs.50. Here also, the Taxi drivers have to get it done in a particular shop in Malleswaram! 

 INCOMING ONLY! 

 Neelakantappa’s master stroke was the collection of Rs.150 per month from all the Taxi drivers for providing them Airtel sim cards meant only for incoming calls. This collection was done for a whole year and the scheme offered by Airtel was at Rs.99/-. Then, what happened to the huge money collected, and that too for a whole year? Neelakantappa had promised that the remaining amount will be utilised for Association activities! But, nobody knows the accounts of the Association and there is no way for one to know the where about of this money. 

 THE PUNISHMENT MONEY! 

 There is another money spinner business to Neelakantappa which is in regard to levy of penalty. For example, Neelakantappa charges hefty fines for Taxi drivers even for frivolous reasons. If the driver does not wear socks, the penalty will be Rs.100. If the driver’s shirt is soiled or dirty, the penalty will be Rs.100. If the driver forgets to button the top button of the shirt, the penalty will be Rs.100. If the driver does not pay the monthly parking charges in advance, the penalty will be Rs.100 per day of the delay and the Taxi will be blocked till the driver pays the parking fee along with penalty. 

 Interestingly, the penalty amount will not get official receipts. It is scribbled on a piece of paper or on the back side of the parking receipt! Even the parking receipt does not have the legal sanction as the same is signed by some outsider. Somebody by name ‘Rama’ signs the parking receipt as the authorised signatory! Who is he? He is neither an employee of the KSTDC nor taken on employment to the Taxi services. To be precise, Rama is the son of KSTDC official Kantharaj. 

 CALL CENTRE DONATION! 

 From this month, Neelakantappa has introduced another fraudulent system to collect the call centre charges. All these days, the receipt for call centre charges used to be given in the parking fee receipt. Now, all of a sudden, the call centre charges that is about Rs.2000/- per month per cab is being collected in the name of the Association and that too without specifying the purpose in the receipt. The receipt simply shows donation! 

 WAKE UP! 

 It is high time that the KSTDC officials and the Government authorities wake up to save the taxi drivers from the clutches of Neelakantappa. Else, he will continue to squeeze them for his vested interests. 

That is all.