lakhs of commuters across Haryana faced a tough time on Tuesday as the State roadways buses remained off the road in protest against the Manohar lal Khattar Government’s decision to hire more than 700 private buses.
The state roadways services remained paralysed across Haryana and its Capital—Chandigarh with the State transport employees remaining adamant on their demand of withdrawal of Government’s decision to hire private buses.
While around 4000 buses remained off the roads, the employees under the banner of Haryana Roadways Karamchari Joint Action Committee held protests at several places against the State Government.
The ‘chakka jam’ on Tuesday’ was also called as a part of the All-India protest against certain provisions of the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
During the day-long strike, the employees staged demonstrations at various depots, including Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Ambala among other districts and raised slogans in support of their demands.
Police personnel were also deployed at several bus stands in Haryana to prevent any untoward incident in the wake of the day-long strike.
last month, multiple rounds of talks were held between the State Government and roadways unions representatives to break the deadlock over the issue of hiring of private buses but the talks failed to yield any positive result.
“4,000 buses including Volvo buses remained off the road across the State on Tuesday. The roadways employees protested against the State Government’s decision of hiring more than 700 private buses. With this decision, the Government is planning to privatise the roadways,” said Haryana Roadways Workers Union, General Secretary Sarbat Singh Punia on Tuesday.
Punia said that our grievances are not addressed by the Government and we are forced to resort to holding day-long strike.
Reacting to the demands of roadways employees and their day-long strike, Transport Minister Krishan lal Panwar said that there is no privatization of state roadways and the Government will hire 720 private buses to facilitate the general public. Out of 720 buses lOA (letter of authorization) was issued to 510 buses, he said.
About 33 lakh people avail themselves of the State transport facility every day whereas the department has been providing services to only 12.5 lakh people, he said.
The Minister said that there is need to run about 15,000 buses every day, but the State Government is unable to purchase such a large number of buses at one go hence we are hiring private buses.
Panwar also said the unions had approached the High Court against the lOA granted by the Department. The Director General of Transport and Director General of Police were also called for the hearing. Now, the next date of hearing is August 20 and the department would abide by whatever decision the Court gives, he added.
The Minister claimed that despite day-long strike, around 500 roadways buses and 950 private buses of cooperative societies are plying smoothly in the State.
He also said that strict action will be taken against those drivers recruited in 2018 and are on probation, who went on day-long strike. Such employees will be terminated from their services, he added.
Acting against such protesting employees, the State Government also issued order directing them to join their services or else face suspension.
Reacting to this, Haryana Roadways Workers Union, leader Sarbat Singh Punia said that if action is taken against 1628 roadways employees recruited in 2018, the union will intensify its protest in the coming days.
“We will hold a meeting on August 8 in Jind and will announce next course of action, if the Government does not withdraw its order of acting against drivers and conductor recruited in 2018,” he added.
Other demands of protesting employees 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 regularisation policies, regularisation of drivers, conductors recruited in 2016, bringing petrol and diesel under GST.
They also demanded withdrawal of Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Bill seeks to allow private players to enter the public transport sector. The roadways union have alleged that this is a step towards privatisation of the sector will give way to monopolisation and threaten their jobs.