Cong alleges scam in induction of pvt buses, seeks guv intervention
CHANDIGARH : Led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a Congress delegation alleged scam behind the induction of about 700 private buses in the state roadways fleet and sought intervention of governor Satyadeo Narain Arya, here on Wednesday.
Hooda, who led a delegation of about a dozen party MLAS and leaders, also submitted a memorandum to the governor, alleging that the functioning of all departments was on the verge of collapse as a large number of employees of other unions too had joined roadways employees whose strike had entered its 16th day on Wednesday.
Hooda alleged that all the 520 permits allotted so far have been given to chosen private operators of the government, hence higher rates fixed to be given to them. Alleging further that inexperienced drivers were being recruited to run the buses in the wake of ongoing strike, he said it was turning out to be a major safety hazard for the passengers.
The two-time chief minister, Hooda, further held that since the government was bent upon benefitting its chosen private operators, it replaced only about 146 buses against the total 1,418 buses this financial year. “Had the government replaced all the buses, there would not have been any requirement of the induction of private buses,” he said.
HOODA MISLEADING PEOPLE: JAIN
Meanwhile, reacting to Hooda’s allegations, the media advisor to chief minister, Rajiv Jain, said that he (Hooda) was misleading the people on the issue. “While the private buses would be run on kilometre-basis, Hooda is wrongly saying that permits were being given to them,” he said. Stating that the previous Congress government was responsible for messing up the roadways department, Jain said that while only 472 new buses were purchased during 10-year rule of the Congress, the BJP had already included 600 new buses in roadways fleet while 650 more are on the way.
EMPLOYEES’ UMBRELLA BODY ENDS STRIKE
Meanwhile, Haryana Sarvkarmchari Sangh, the main body of over 40 employees’ unions, which had observed a two-day strike in support of roadways employees till Wednesday, ended it but expressed solidarity with the roadways employees’ strike which would continue till November 2. Sangh president Dharambir Phogat and general secretary Subhash Lamba said in a statement that a Sangh would soon convene a meeting to chalk out future action plan.
They also flayed the lathicharge on the agitating roadways employees in Fatehabad and Bhiwani and demanded immediate release of employees leaders arrested there.