Two days after the strike of Haryana roadways employees across the State, the Manohar lal Khattar Government is possibly headed for another showdown with the State roadways unions on the issue of giving permits to the private operators.
The State Government on Wednesday, during the routine informal Cabinet meeting chaired by Manohar lal here, deliberated upon issuance of permits to private bus owners on several routes in the new transport policy.
While the employees’ unions have made it clear that they would protest privatisation of the State roadways, Haryana Government is set to give a go ahead to provide permits to private operators on 450 routes in its new transport policy.
At present, various roadways employees’ unions in the State are at loggerheads with Haryana Government over the issue of giving permits to private bus operators. Expressing their resentment over the issue, the roadways unions had observed one-day strike on Tuesday across the State, which caused inconvenience to lakhs of commuters besides loss of crores of rupees to the State exchequer.
To pacify the protesting roadways employees, the Transport Minister Krishan lal Panwar had on Tuesday announced to introduce a new transport policy and assured to withdraw permits given to private operators in transport policy 2016-17.
The State Cabinet on Thursday during its informal meeting held discussion to finalise the new transport policy. After the meeting, Minister Krishan lal Panwar while talking to the media persons said that the Cabinet deliberated upon giving permits to private operators on 479 routes.
As of now, 450 routes have been finalised where the permits would be given to private operators. The new transport policy has been finalised and the draft would be put forth for Chief Minister’s approval, added the Transport Minister.
On the other hand, the roadways employees’ unions have raised objection to the proposal of giving permits to private operators in the new policy.
“The roadways unions will protest against the decision taken by the State Government for the privatisation of Haryana roadways. The employees unions have already made it clear that privatisation of roadways would not be accepted,” said Haryana Roadways Workers Union leader Sarbat Singh Punia while talking to The Pioneer.
He said that the Government should focus on adding more buses to the roadways fleet instead of giving permits to private operators on various routes in Haryana.
During the meeting with the Transport Minister on Tuesday, the union leaders had rejected his proposal of allowing permits for plying of private buses in rural areas of Haryana. However, the State Government is still trying to privatise the roadways, said Punia.
While the government has withdrawn the private buses plying on about 300 routes under 2016-17 transport policy, it is now trying to adjust these private operators in its new transport policy, he alleged.
The union leader added after the introduction of the new transport policy, the roadways employees will chalk out future course of action.
Notably, multiple rounds of talks have been held between the State Government and roadways representatives during the past three months to break the deadlock over the issuance of permits to private operators, but they have failed to yield positive results.
Earlier, Haryana roadways unions had observed four days strike in the month of April over the same issue. At that time, the Government had agreed to scrap the transport policy of 2016-17.
The State-run carrier carries lakhs of passengers every day and operate more than 3500 buses across Haryana.