Himachal set for truck operators’ union poll, addl force called

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 24

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nalagarh has sought deployment of additional police force for peaceful conduct of elections of Nalagarh Truck Operators Union (NTOU) tomorrow.

Being Asia’s biggest transport union, about 4,000-5,000 operators are slated to converge at Nalagarh to convene the union’s general house meeting. The new body comprising president, vice-president, cashier, etc would be elected at the meeting.

“The general house meeting of the NTOU is a sensitive issue and in order to ensure that there is no law and order problem, a request has been made to the Superintendent of Police, Baddi to provide an additional battalion,” informed SDM Nalagarh Mahendra Pal.

Several contentious issues are likely to figure in the meeting which include an agreement signed between the union and the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industries Association in July this year. Freight had been slashed as per a unanimous agreement arrived between the industry association and the truck union.

Anticipating trouble by some miscreants, the union has issued identity cards to its members. Only those having these cards would be permitted to enter the meeting hall at union’s Nalagarh office where the meeting would take place tomorrow.

In a bid to ensure peaceful conduct of the meeting, the union has requested police to permit entry of only those members who carry identity cards. With force from the battalions having been stationed at various constituencies where by-elections are being held, the police from various police stations would be rushed in for the meeting at Nalagarh informed a police official.