The leaders of Haryana Roadways employees’ union showed their displeasure over the laxity shown by the State Government, in forming the proposed joint committee involving three Cabinet Ministers and Union leaders on Tuesday.
The Union leaders threatened to go on a State-wide stir again, if the State Government fails to abide by their promise, of forming the joint committee at the earliest. Earlier, a two-day transportation strike, which brought the North-Indian State to a standstill was called off, when the Transport Minister agreed to constitute a joint committee to look into the grievances of the agitated transport employees.
Sarbat Singh Punia, who was heading the stir from the front said, “Five days have passed since the strike was called off, but State Government has not budged since. We are running short of answers, on the impact of our agitation as no joint action committee has been formed. If the State Government continues to show the same indifference, we will be forced to go on strike again in the days to come.”
Punia added that the State Government is delaying the matter intentionally, keeping in view the upcoming parliamentary elections. We have called a joint meeting of all our unions at Rohtak on November 23 to discuss these matters, and to decide the further course of action.
The union is going to stick to its 15-point demand charter as earlier. Three most important points being the review of 923 bus permits given to private players, cancellation of the new stage carriage scheme 2013 and increase in the number of buses from the current fleet of 4,500 vehicles. “There is a dire need to regularise the 8,000 daily wage drivers and conductors, since 2003 in Haryana Roadways. Daily wage drivers and conductors are getting Rs 10,000 and Rs 8,000 respectively for the same work, which is being done by the regular drivers and conductors who are getting Rs 30,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively,” said Punia.
There are still 2,850 vacant posts in the Haryana Roadways. Due to lack of drivers more than 600 buses are lying unused in 23 different depots of the State. Punia refuted the State Government’s claim that Haryana Roadways is running in a loss. Around 30 per cent of our total income goes out as tax every year. Due to certain concession meted out by the government to special categories of passengers, around Rs 500 crore goes down the drain which should be deducted, while calculating the loss, he said.