E-Paper
Punjab truck operators’ strike: One side of highway cleared, cabinet sub-committee to meet protesters
Punjab truck operators, who are on an indefinite strike at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana against disbanding of truck unions, have cleared one side of the national highway-1 (NH-1), after their meeting with the cabinet sub-committee was scheduled.
Punjab truck operators, who are on an indefinite strike at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana against disbanding of truck unions, have cleared one side of the national highway-1 (NH-1), after their meeting with the cabinet sub-committee was scheduled.
The protesting truckers received an official letter, assuring them of their meeting with the cabinet sub-committee at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh on Wednesday (January 4).
Representatives of the truck operators, earlier met the cabinet sub-committee led by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on December 23, but it followed a deadlock between the truckers and the government.
The office of the chief minister, in a letter dated January 1, has asked the secretary of the department of general administration and coordination to fix a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee with the representatives of the truck operators.
The government is going to discuss the demand of truck operators about reinstating the truck unions across Punjab that were disbanded after the state government had introduced the Punjab Goods Carriages (Regulation and Prevention of Cartelisation Rules) in 2017.
Paramjeet Singh, a representative of the truck operators from Fazilka, said, “We have received the letter (about meeting) from the government. We have been told that this committee will comprise of five cabinet ministers and the chief secretary.”
About clearing one side of the road, Singh said, “We have taken one step in positive direction by opening one side of the NH-1 for commuters who are coming from Delhi to Punjab. However, we have still blocked one side for commuters going to Delhi.”
President of All Punjab Truck Operator Union, Happy Sandhu, said, “Although we are not aware about what are the internal discussions of the sub-committee, we are still hopeful of getting a positive response from the government about reinstatement of the unions in Punjab after the meeting with the sub-committee.”
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, MLA from Sanour, said that he was “ready to resolve their issue.” He added, “The issue of truck operators and industry people are not very big. The burden would eventually be on the industry after the truck unions were dissolved. I have discussed their demand with the government.” He termed some of the issues as a result of “confusion.”
When asked about how the district administration is engaging with the protestors, Sakshi Sawhney, deputy commissioner of Patiala, said, “One side was cleared after deliberations with the truckers.” She added, “We are also ensuring that there is no law-and-order problem, so we have made security deployment in that area.”
