The public transport services would be affected in Haryana on Wednesday as Roadways employees will go on a day-long strike to protest the government’s move to allow private buses to ply within and from the state.
The Haryana government had on August 30 invoked the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) for six months barring the employees to go on the proposed strike.
The government had also invoked provisions under the ESMA to end the ongoing strike by multi-purpose health workers in the state.
The Roadways union leaders said the government buses have started to go off roads in some depots across the state Tuesday evening.
At several depots, including Gurgaon, Karnal and Sirsa, the roadways workers held protest demonstrations and raised slogans against the government.
In view of the employees’ strike, the authorities had also imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure at some places, prohibiting assembly of more than four people.
“Till the very end, we were open for talks with the state government to reach to a solution so that public is not put to inconvenience due to the strike. However, as the government remained defiant and even invoked the ESMA, we have no choice but to proceed on strike on Wednesday as per our earlier announcement,” Haryana Roadways Employees Union president Dalbir Kirmara told on Tuesday.
He said the government was adamant on its stand to introduce 700 private buses on various routes, being opposed by the union.
“We have urged the government to buy its own buses and assured them of better facilities to the commuters. However, they refused to listen to us and stuck to their stand,” Kirmara said.
Speaking to reporters in Jind on Tuesday, Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar termed as “unjustified” the move of the Roadways employees to go on strike.
He said necessary action under the provisions of the ESMA will be taken if the employees defy it.
Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday ordered to suspend and register cases against the protesting multi-purpose health workers.
He said the government has already imposed the ESMA to address the problems arising out of the vector-borne diseases.
The strike by the workers could severely hamper the health services. The government has already accepted their demands, of which some have been sent to the Finance Department, Vij said.
“These workers can express their protest through any other mode but not through absence from their duty, otherwise strict action would be taken against them including termination from the service,” he said.
Directions have also been issued for videography of the workers who are on strike, he added.
The multi-purpose workers are demanding the status of technical cadre and resolution of pay anomalies between men and women.
Meanwhile, Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) slammed the government’s move to invoke the ESMA in view of the Roadways employees’ strike, saying such a measure was not needed in the present situation.
“Why is the government bent upon gradually privatising the Haryana Roadways, which was once a profitable venture. We are a welfare state and the government should not always be looking for profits. They should take back the ESMA, sit and talk with the employees and resolve the issue. The public should not be put to inconvenience because of the government’s failure,” party state president Ashok Arora said.
INLD’s Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala alleged that the BJP government in Haryana wanted to “give permits to some private companies of Gujarat, which is why it is bent upon privatising the state roadways”.
During the last one year, the employees have gone on strike on a few occasions in support of their various demands.
