Accidental bonanza: BMTC staffers get full 26-month arrears, then recall notice arrives

BENGALURU: For a brief moment Saturday, around 100 employees at BMTC’s Yeshwanthpur depot-26 may have felt that long-promised rewards had finally arrived in full. Then came the phone calls.

In what the corporation described as a “technical error”, a billing clerk accidentally credited the entire 26 months’ salary revision arrears to about 100 staff members instead of the approved first instalment covering 11 months.

While drivers, conductors, mechanics and administrative staff elsewhere received the correct amount, a lucky few suddenly found themselves financially transported several stops ahead of the schedule.

BMTC, however, moved quickly to pull the handbrake. According to an official clarification issued Sunday, the depot manager informed the central office immediately after spotting the discrepancy. The employees who had received the extra amount were contacted and requested to return the excess payment.

The repayments, BMTC clarified, are being collected officially through the department-linked account using a QR scanner at the Chaudeshwari temple bus stop office, complete with receipts. The corporation appeared particularly keen to clarify the point after social media users reacted with suspicion and delight.

Videos circulating online claimed the “26 months’ amount belongs to employees” and questioned why the money was being collected “through a temple scanner”. BMTC insisted the process is entirely official, transparent and properly documented.

So far, 35 staff members have returned the excess amount.

The incident briefly produced what may be Bengaluru’s most short-lived salary upgrade. The employees who woke up feeling unexpectedly appreciated by the system were, within hours, being politely asked to board the return journey.