The united forum of three employee unions of Uttarakhand roadways has called off its proposed strike from Midnight of Wednesday. The strike was taken back after concrete assurance given by state administration of launching a campaign against illegal vehicles. After this assurance, Ved Prakash Mahawar who was sitting on a hunger strike at ISBT campus in Dehradun ended his strike.
Worried by strike call given by all employee unions, the state administration swung into action on Wednesday morning, the employee union leaders were contacted and a meeting was convened at State secretariat in afternoon. In the meeting, the Principal Secretary, Uma Kant Panwar ordered the officials to launch a campaign against the illegal vehicles transporting passengers. It was decided that round the clock checking would he held on routes in Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani and Roorkee. Joint teams of RTO, transport department and police would be formed in this campaign against the illegal vehicles.
The meeting was attended by MD of Uttarakhand roadways other senior officers and representatives of employee unions.
The General Secretary of the Uttarakhand Roadways Karamchari Union (URKU), Ashok Chaudhary told The Pioneer that a concrete assurance of action was given and the unions were told that RTO and police station in charge concerned would be held responsible if any incident of plying of illegal transport vehicle is reported in the area of his jurisdiction. He said that in the meeting it was also decided to lodge police cases against those offering tickets on websites. Chaudhary said that the strike was called off unanimously after these assurances.
Demanding immediate cessation on plying of illegal vehicles in the state the Uttarakhand Roadways Sanyukt Parishad (URSP), Uttarakhand Roadways Employee Union (UREU) and Uttarakhand Roadways Karamchari Union (URKU) had decided to observe strike from Wednesday midnight.
It is estimated that the Uttarakhand roadways losses revenue to the tune of Rs 30 lakh per day due to the illegal vehicles.
Different employee unions were so enraged on these illegal operators that ignored the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) which is imposed in the roadways and decided to go on work boycott.