CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Wednesday suspended 120 office bearers of various employee unions of Haryana Roadways as their strike entered its third day, thus paralysing the State’s bus services.
There are around 4,000 buses on Haryana roadways, which include the luxury Volvo bus service, while about 13 lakh passengers travel daily in State owned transport buses which have come to a halt since Monday.
Five striking workers each from 24 depots of the state owned transport were suspended on Wednesday by the respective general managers for striking at work without giving any notice to the government and instigating other workers for strike.
Sources said that Tuesday’s talks between Haryana Transport minister Krishan Lal Panwar and representatives of the Haryana Roadways Employees Union failed as both sides stuck to their stand. The union wanted the government to revoke the new State transport policy issued on February 17, 2017, where it proposes to issue new permits to private bus operators.
There are 853 private bus permits issued on 273 routes by the State transport department, all of which have been renewed.
However, 1,669 applications have come to the department for issuance of new permits, which the Haryana Roadways employees are objecting. Till date no new permit has been issued.
Confirming that few employees have been suspended, Sarbat Singh Punia, President of Haryana Roadways Workers Union said that the government had suspended a few office-bearers in all depots of the State. “We were not afraid of such action and will continue our strike till our demands are met.’’
All 311 buses of the Faridabad bus depot, 183 of the total 219 buses of Ambala Bus depot, 159 buses of the Jhajjar depot remained off the road, in response an indefinite strike called by the Haryana Roadways Workers Union.
Buses of Sonepat, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra depots did not ply either, causing inconvenience to commuters. A meeting of the crisis management committee was held under chief secretary DS Dhesi.
Haryana DGP KP Singh said that the SPs in the districts have been told to take stern action against those who try to take law in their hands.