As the ‘Stage carriage Scheme 2013’ to encourage private bus operators in Haryana enters second phase, it is facing serious opposition from several quarters.
To provide easy, safe and economical transportation to the people, especially those who are living in countryside and remote areas in the state, Haryana State Transport department has introduced a new ‘Stage carriage Scheme 2013’ with 3,519 permits to the private bus operators. “In this policy, department has clearly mentioned that these new upcoming routes will solely be for the villages or remote areas, the basic purpose for it is to connect such areas with the urban cities of the state”, said Bhupinder Singh, ATC-II, transport department Haryana.
However, thousands of employees under the banner of Haryana Roadways Workers Union have started opposing this new policy on the pretext that it is “anti employee”. Sarbat Singh Punia, president of the union said that the transport department introduced these new routes for the private bus operators with an ulterior motive. “Few years back, the transport department had introduced 923 such new permits to the private bus operators, but later on it had to curtail the numbers of Haryana Roadways buses to cover up those permits. However, private bus operators didn’t use those permits and stopped plying their buses in between on the assigned routes”, said Punia.
He said again the same mistake is being made as the department introduced such permits for the private bus operators in another form. Now not only the numbers of these permits have been increased but their routes have also been reshuffled, which may be harmful for the department’s own stage carriage business later on, added Punia.
Employees under the banner of Haryana Roadways Workers Union have already initiated a signature campaign on all the depots or bus stands of Haryana Roadways to get the actual opinion or the experience of public with the private bus operators. “We are going to submit these signatures to Haryana Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on November 1 and ask him to intervene”, said Sarban Singh, a union leader at Panchkula Bus depot. However, state transport department’s officials are taking the agitation lightly as of now, and said that they are getting very good response for this new policy.
“It is not only for the benefit of public but would also provide employment to the unemployed youth,” said an official. According to sources, some old private bus operators too have filed petition to stop this new policy due to some unfavorable clauses in it. The Transport Department has given priority to the old private bus operators to apply for these permits.
“We are getting very good response for this scheme. We hope we will allot all the new permits to the aspirants till mid November, added Bhupinder Singh, ATC-II, transport department Haryana.