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Passengers harried as buses remain off road in Haryana amid Bharat bandh
Public transport and banking services remained affected in Haryana as the two-day Bharat Bandh call given by trade unions to protest the Centre’s alleged “wrong policies” started on Monday
Public transport and banking services remained affected in Haryana as the two-day Bharat Bandh call given by trade unions to protest the Centre’s alleged “wrong policies” started on Monday.
The bandh has evoked mixed response in state. Passengers of the Haryana Roadways had to bear the brunt of the ‘chakka jam’ declared by employees in support of the bandh call.
In the early hours, the passengers, mostly girl students and pass holders, could be seen waiting at bus stops as most government buses remained off the road due to the strike. The passengers were seen struggling to reach their destinations in private buses and taxis.
“After waiting for an hour, I had to return home as I couldn’t catch a bus to Kurukshetra. I missed today’s coaching class,” said Pallavi, a student from Ladwa in Kurukshetra.
Bus services remained affected in Karnal, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Rohtak, Ambala, Yamunanagar and Kaithal districts as many buses were off road.
Roadways employees also held protests and accused the government of promoting privatisation and reducing the strength of buses in government-operated state transport.
The protesting roadways employees are demanding that more buses be added in the fleet, the old pension scheme be restored and the appointment of contractual employees be regularised.
Karnal roadways general manager Kuldeep Singh said the strike had no impact as of 120 buses, around 116 ran on their respective routes. Panipat roadways general manager Kuldeep Jangra said 50% buses remained operational. On the other hand, the protesting employees said the strike was successful.
All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Inderjeet Singh said farmers also took part in the Bharat bandh and held protests at block levels across Haryana.
“We will hold district-level protests tomorrow. The Union government has failed to control inflation, fuel prices and jobs are shrinking. The economy has been destroyed by the government and it is promoting privatisation,” he added.
Sarbat Singh Punia, a leader of the joint front of 10 unions of roadways employees, said, “Only a few buses run under the kilometre scheme were operating in the morning in Narnaul, Jhajjar and Chandigarh depots. Our roadways employees are observing a complete strike.”
In some districts, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed to maintain law and order during the strike under which a ban was imposed on gathering of five or more persons in a 200m area of the bus stands.
Punia said employees and workers of some other departments, including public sector banks and municipal bodies, are also participating in the bandh.
Another roadways employees’ union leader said the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had also extended their support to the strike.
Jaiveer Singh, an activist with the Haryana Roadways Karamchari Sanjha Morcha, said the government should immediately take back the kilometre scheme buses, where private drivers are involved and have been involved in many accidents in the recent past.
Impact of the strike could also be seen on banking services as most of the public sector banks’ employees largely remained off-duty. Transactions at many public sector banks have been impacted as employees have not reported for duty. Employees of the nationalised banks also held protests outside their branches.
A few public sector banks remained shut for public dealings and sanitation workers also suspended work.
(With agency inputs)
