More than 4000 Haryana roadways buses will remain off the roads on Tuesday as employees have called for “chakka jam” over their demands.
The Haryana Government and State roadways employees’ unions have been at loggerheads over the issue of hiring of over 700 private buses by the State Transport Department.
While the State Government has announced to hire 720 buses under its scheme of hiring of private buses on kilometer basis, the State roadways employees’ unions have demanded withdrawal of the decision terming it as “privatization” of the Department.
The Tuesday’s strike is also called as a part of the All-India protest against certain provisions of the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
“All State roadways employees will observe one day strike on August 7 and 4000 buses of Haryana roadways will remain off the roads,” said Haryana Roadways Workers Union, General Secretary Sarbat Singh Punia on Monday.
He said, “Our demands include withdrawal of the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and Haryana Government’s decision to hire 720 private buses.” “The State Government is trying to privatize the roadways by hiring private buses,” he alleged.
Other demands included introduction of a Bill in the State Assembly for regularization of contractual employees and give relief to employees affected due to High Court’s order on 2014 regularization policies, regularization of drivers, conductors recruited in 2016, bringing petrol and diesel under GST.
While the Transport Minister Krishan lal Panwar had held a meeting with roadways employees’ unions last month, both sides had failed to reach a consensus on the issue of hiring of private buses by the State Transport Department.
Stating that there is shortage of buses in the State, the Minister had recently said that the State Government will hire a total of 720 private buses. So far. 510 private buses have been hired under the Government’s scheme.
33 lakh people need bus services on a daily basis in the state but the services are availed by only around 13 lakh passengers due to shortage of buses, he had said.
Regarding the protest lodged by the roadways unions against the kilometer scheme, Panwar had clarified that it could not be termed as privatization as conductors and permits for plying the buses under the scheme will be from the Haryana Roadways.
last year also, the roadways employees’ unions had raised objection to Government’s proposal of giving permits to private operators to ply in the State.