Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma said an FIR has been registered on the complaint
chandigarh:
A Haryana Roadways bus driver was adorned with shoes, while a conductor was also reportedly harassed by some Dabwali workers in Sirsa district for refusing to join the nationwide strike called for by central unions, an official statement said. Wednesday.
Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma said an FIR has been registered on the driver and conductor’s complaint.
Public transport in Haryana was hit for two days as Roadways workers came to support the nationwide strike called by central unions on March 28-29 to protest the Center’s alleged wrong policies.
Mr Sharma said it is everyone’s democratic right to protest, but if workers misbehave by dressing their colleagues with shoes, strict action will certainly be taken against those found guilty.
In addition to the legal action, strict departmental actions will also be taken against such employees, he added, according to an official statement.
Sharma said this in reference to the incident where a driver from Haryana Roadways was given shoes for not participating in the strike in Dabwali, Sirsa district (on Tuesday). In this strike, the bus conductor was also harassed by (some of) the workers (who had joined the strike) for refusing to participate in the protest,” the statement said.
Police have also made some arrests in the case, the minister said.
“Such people who indulge in such actions will not be spared,” he said.
Sharma said that during the two-day strike, the general managers of Roadways in some districts did a “good job” and got a large number of buses on the road, but the general managers of some districts failed to do so.
Departmental action has been launched against such general managers, he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sharma claimed that the unions are spreading rumors and misinformation about the privatization of the Haryana Roadways.
He said the truth is that the government is constantly increasing the number of buses in the Roadways fleet. 2,000 Roadways employees were also recently promoted, he added.
“Haryana Roadways is leading the way in the country. The general public will not have any problems,” he said.
On Monday, Sarbat Singh Punia, a leader of the joint front of 10 Roadways workers’ unions, claimed that the BJP-led government of Haryana was not strengthening the fleet of Haryana Roadways.
“This indicates that they intend to promote the privatization of transport services. About six years ago there were 4,200 buses in the Haryana Roadways fleet, which have now been reduced to 2,600 and route permits are being issued to promote private buses.
“Haryana Roadways needs 10,000 buses in its fleet, but the government is not listening,” Mr Punia had claimed.
