Gurdaspur's heroic driver requests government to regularise his job

CHANDIGARH: The contractual Punjab Roadways driver, whose name has been recommended for Gallantry award for saving 76 lives during Gurdaspur terror attack, has requested the Punjab Government to regularise his job so that he could sustain his family of six.

The 45-year-old Nanak Chand works on a contract basis with Punjab Roadways and earns a paltry amount of Rs 5,000 per month.

Chand met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal last week with a request to regularise his salary and that of his conductor, Birender Kumar, who also played a key role on the day of the attack.

"I work on contract basis with Punjab Roadways. I get anywhere between Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 each month. I have to support a large family that includes my wife, my school going children -- a daughter (17), two sons (20) and (13) -- and my mother," Nanak Chand told PTI over phone today.

Hailing from Samrala village in Pathankot district, Chand said that he has requested the Punjab Government to regularise his job along with his conductor.

"When I met Chief Minister Badal, I requested him to regularise our services. He was appreciative of the job we did on the fateful day. Let's see if the government accepts our request," he said.

Chand was appointed on contract basis in 2010 and joined the State Roadways in 2011.

His name will also be recommended for the Gallantry award for civilians to be conferred by the Union Government.

Chand showed tremendous presence of mind when the terrorists armed with sophisticated weapons fired at the moving vehicle in a pre-dawn attack in Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district last week.

Narrating the sequence of events that unfolded on the day in Dinanagar town, Chand said, "The day was like any other day, I was on duty early morning. The bus was on its way from Janian, a village falling along the Punjab-J&K border. We started at 3:40 AM and our final destination was ISBT, Sector 43 in Chandigarh. From Janian, we cross 60-70 border villages to reach Dinanagar town, which is 60 km".