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Transport services hit as Haryana roadways employees go on one day strike
Passengers remained stranded at Bhiwani, Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Jhajjar, Charkhi Dadri and as the employees parked their buses on bus stands. The services of many long and local routes were hit
Transport services were hit in parts the state as Haryana Roadways employees went on a day-long strike on Wednesday to protest against the ‘ negative attitude’ of the state government towards their demands.
Passengers remained stranded at Bhiwani, Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Jhajjar, Charkhi Dadri and as the employees parked their buses on bus stands. The services of many long and local routes were hit.
The call for the strike was given by the Haryana Roadways Employees Sanjha Morcha. They were demanding withdrawal of the new penal provisions related to hit-and-run, and regular filling of vacant posts in workshops, promotion of employees recruited under Group D category, increasing the pay grade of drivers, operators and clerks, and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
Haryana roadways employees Sanjha Morcha leader Subhash Dhillon said they have observed strike to protest against the ‘negative attitude’ of the government towards the demands of Haryana Roadways employees.
“The employees protested across the state over various demands. The new law related to hit and run cases is dangerous for drivers and we are protesting against it. The other demands, include increase in salary of drivers, operators and clerks and restoration of Old Pension Scheme. If the government fails to accept our demands, we will intensify the protest,” he added.
An employee leader Ajay Duhan alleged that the Haryana government is not strengthening the Haryana roadways fleet.
“There have been 4,200 roadways buses in Haryana seven years back and now it has reduced to less than 3,000. This government has been promoting privatisation by giving permits to private bus owners. The state needs 10,000 new buses to fulfil the demand,” he added.
Ramesh Kumar, a student from Hisar, said that he had to hire a taxi to go to Kaithal and the taxi driver over-charged from him.
Ankit Kumar, a commuter said that he waited for several hours at Rohtak bus stand to get a bus for Charkhi Dadri but to no avail. “The demands of employees can be genuine but they should cooperate with commuters,” he added.
No major effect in Karnal
In Karnal, a faction of the union was reportedly against the strike and worked as usual as heavy police forces reached the bus stand early morning, while in Ambala, commuters for Delhi or Chandigarh had various options like Punjab or Himachal Pradesh Roadways.
However, commuters had to face inconvenience for inter-district travel in Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts as few buses plied on road and rest were running in full capacity during peak hours of the day.
The morcha’s spokesperson Ramniwas Sheokhand claimed that the strike was a success in whole state.
State transport minister Mool Chand Sharma could not be contacted.
