Roadways staff on strike till Thursday

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 22

With the deadlock persisting between Haryana Roadways employees and the state government, the striking staff on Monday extended the strike by three days.

The strike entered the seventh day, leaving thousands of commuters high and dry. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar again ruled out the possibility of rollback of the government’s decision to hire 700 private buses.

Talks between the government and striking roadways employees on Sunday failed, with protesters sticking to their demand on the issue of 700 private buses.

“The coordination committee has decided to extend the strike till October 25. The government is not serious about our demand and is bent on privatising Haryana Roadways. Talks broke down on Sunday because of the government’s rigid approach,” said Balwan Singh, a member of the coordination committee.

The employees had been on strike since October 16 against the state government’s decision to hire 700 private buses. They claimed that the move was a step towards privatisation of the Transport Department. They alleged that the state government was trying to benefit a private transporter by hiring private buses.

Khattar refuted the charge of opposition parties and roadways union leaders that the government’s decision on 700 buses was a move to benefit anyone or serve anyone’s personal interest. He said roadways union leaders should raise issues pertaining to employees and not interfere in policy matters of the government.

“We have already said that these 700 buses will be under the control of Haryana Roadways and will be a part of its fleet. We are not giving permits to private players,” he said. He claimed that the addition of private buses, which would be plied on km basis, would not affect roadways employees in any manner.

Under the kilometre scheme, buses would be owned by private operators, who would pay salary to drivers and bear diesel and maintenance costs, Khattar said. Conductors would be appointed by the government and revenue generated from tickets deposited in the state exchequer, he said.

He said the categories entitled to free or concessional travel would continue to avail it in private buses.

Official sources said 1,112 buses ran on different routes on Monday compared to 509 on Sunday. Meanwhile, 42 drivers and conductors who were on probation and took part in the strike were dismissed.