A day-long strike call given by Haryana roadways unions fizzled out on Wednesday as scores of their union leaders were detained in pre-dawn action at several depots and authorities managed to ply state-run buses on several routes.
Minor clashes were reported between striking employees and police, which used mild force at a few places to control the protesters. Police lathicharge was reported at Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa while roadways employees were detained in Hisar, Sonipat and other districts to foil protests.
The employees also sat on dharnas at Fatehabad, Jind, Hisar, Ambala, Tohana, Sirsa, and Panchkula.
The officials claimed that the bus services across the state remained normal.
Bus services were, however, affected for some time at a few bus stands and depots in Haryana.
The Haryana Government had on August 30 imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prevent the one-day strike from taking place. The strike was called against the State Government’s decision to hire more than 700 private buses to ply outside and within the state.
Even as the striking roadways staff said they are opposed to the proposed privatisation of public transport services, the Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar has denied any such move.
As per the Transport Department, Haryana roadways have been able to cater to only 12.5 lakh of the about 33 lakh daily commuters.
Meanwhile, Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana and Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh have condemned police action on protesting employees.
Sarbat Punia, leader of Haryana Roadways Workers Union said that the union leaders and other employees detained by the police should be released without any condition and cases registered against them should be withdrawn.
The employees under the banner of Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana and Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh will hold statewide protest on September 6 against police action on protesting employees of roadways, he added.
The police had rounded up several employees, including union leaders, at the depots to foil protests in the state. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were imposed at some places to prevent the assembly of more than four people.
Police said several roadways employees were detained for defying these orders.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties have lashed out at Haryana Government over its alleged failure to resolve the issues of government employees.
Ashok Arora, INLD’s state president asked the State Government to hold talks with the roadways employees to resolve their long pending demands while Ashok Tanwar, Congress state chief termed the Haryana Government as “anti-employee”.
Criticizing the government, Haryana AAP unit chief Naveen Jaihind said that today, the roadways employees are forced to protest due to the anti-employee policies of the BJP. The government employees will give a befitting reply to the current regime in 2019 polls, he added.