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Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 21
Beginning tomorrow, 117 Punjab Roadways buses will not ply on their scheduled routes. These would remain at the disposal of the 117 SAD-BJP halqa (constituency) chiefs till the election code comes into force in Punjab. The buses will ferry persons from economically weaker sections as well as students to five religious places identified under the CM’s Tirath Yatra scheme.
The district administrations have tied up with the Transport Department to implement the scheme. In Jalandhar, Roadways buses will daily carry pilgrims to Salasar Dham (two-day trip) in Rajasthan, Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Mata Chintpurni and Vaishno Devi.
The expenditure on fuel, meals and lodging will be borne by Punjab Roadways. “The first bus will leave for Vaishno Devi from the Jalandhar North constituency early tomorrow morning. I have asked my area councillors to make a list of places the people want to tour,” said BJP legislator KD Bhandari.
But for procedural delays, the scheme would have been simultaneously launched in all 117 constituencies tomorrow, said Hoshiarpur DC Anindita Mitra. “Making lists of the shrines to be visited and arranging for medical tests of commuters will take some time. We will launch the scheme on Tuesday,” she said.
There is another hitch. With the unions of contractual employees of Punjab Roadways on strike, the Transport Department does not have the requisite staff to ply the buses.
“We may have to reschedule our tours. We do not have enough regular employees. But the government wants all nine buses to ply every day,” said General Manager (Jalandhar-1 depot) HS Minhas.
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