Malda, Nov. 4: Employees of the Malda regional transport authority have lodged a police complaint alleging that they have been manhandled by members of a transporters’ association which has also brought corruption charges against the RTA.

In the police complaint, regional transport officer Biswajit Ghosh said Malda District Bus and Mini-bus Owners’ Association members manhandled him and other employees in the office when then came to submit a memorandum yesterday. He named association secretary Kajal Roy and another person in the FIR and demanded their arrest.

The bus owners have, however, threatened to go for an indefinite transport strike in three districts, including Malda, if their members were arrested. Denying the charges of assault, Roy said: “You cannot get anything done without greasing the palms of the RTA employees or without taking the help of brokers.”

He also alleged that route permits were being distributed illegally. “The RTA employees have not released the bills for using buses in the previous elections,” Roy added.

District magistrate Sridhar Ghosh said the bus owners’ association had no right to assault the RTA employees.

“I have asked police to arrest the persons named in the FIR,” the district magistrate said and added that an inquiry would be conducted into the corruption charges brought against the RTA employees by the transporters’ body.